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TRANSCRIPT
w w w . s i e m e n s - v a i . c o m Issue 2|2010
metals&miningThe magazine for the metals and mining industries
CommitmentTo Quality
metals &mining 2|2010 3
ED
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Werner Auer
Dear Readers,
When I accepted the position of CEO at Siemens VAI in July 2010,
I decided that quality would continue to be one of the key issues of
our company agenda. We have always emphasized the fundamental
im portance of quality, as underlined by the successful completion of
thousands of metallurgical projects worldwide in our company’s long
history. In fact, our company’s reputation for quality is a decisive
criterion for our competitiveness and success in the market.
However, quality is not a state of perfection that can be attained
once and for all. On the contrary, it is a series of ongoing, incremental
improvements to do what we do even better, and to supply ideally
tailored plants, solutions and services that help our customers meet their
performance and quality requirements.
Today, installed iron- and steelmaking capacities of most countries in
the world are fully adequate to meet production demands. Emphasis is
increasingly being placed on improving the efficiency and reliability of
existing plants, manufacturing superior products, generating a higher
share of value-added commodities and satisfying strict environmental
regulations. Accordingly, greater demands must be fulfilled by tech no -
logical processes, equipment and plants, requiring that the highest
standards of technological excellence and plant design are applied. For
these reasons, Siemens VAI employs a comprehensive quality manage -
ment system that embraces all aspects of quality related to our company
personnel, engineering, project execution, procurement, manufacturing
and construction assembly. This system is the basis for assuring that the
plants we supply perform as designed and fully meet the ex pectations
of our customers.
There is no shortcut to quality. It is a commitment, an attitude, and a
permanent striving for improvement. For me personally, it is an obliga -
tion to ensure that our company will maintain its reputation and standing
behind the watchword “Quality Made by Siemens VAI.” With my signa ture,
I pledge our full commitment to quality at Siemens VAI.
Yours sincerely,
Werner Auer
CEO of Siemens VAI Metals Technologies
COVERQuality is a core pillar of theSiemens VAI corporatepolicy. Examples of tech nicalsolutions, work man ship,plant references and internalimprovements focusing onquality are presented in thisissue of metals&mining.
QUALITY EXCELLENCE
8 We Mean Quality.A dedicated focus on both customer quality needs
and continuous internal quality improvements is
decisive for achieving excellent results
INTERVIEW
14 “A Question of Survival”Establishing quality as a corporate culture
MINING
16 MATERIAL HANDLING: Unmanned OperationBoosts ReliabilityImprovements in open-pit mining at RWE Power in
Germany
20 BENEFICIATION: A New Addition for MoreCopperMinera Los Pelambres continues to place its trust in
Siemens
IRONMAKING
22 BLAST FURNACE: Don’t Let Your Money GoUp the Chimney Solutions to improve the energy efficiency of
hot-blast stoves
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STEELMAKING
26 ELECTRIC STEELMAKING: Quality Made in Germany Siemens VAI dedicated to a culture of quality
30 SECONDARY METALLURGY: Steel ExpertTakes CommandSecondary metallurgical process optimization
32 CONTINUOUS CASTING: Getting Close toPerfectionNext-generation process-optimization solutions in
continuous casting
PANORAMA
38 CULTURE: A Symbol of the Creative SpiritOf the Ruhr AreaZollverein World Cultural Heritage site in Essen,
Germany
ROLLING
40 INTERVIEW: Lined Up for SuccessLuiz Carlos Garcia da Silva Júnior on the new
multi-line finishing rolling mill at Villares Metals
S.A., Brazil
42 LONG-PRODUCT ROLLING: Measuring EyeSees EverythingProfile measurement for long products
8Optimized processes and strict quality control is thebasis for high-quality products
4 metals &mining 2|2010
68New solutions for the metals industry are developed atthe Siemens VAI workshop in Montbrison, France
44 LONG-PRODUCT ROLLING: Quality Beginswith The Customer A long tradition of quality in long rolling
46 PLATE MILLS: World’s Largest Oil-FilmBearings New Morgoil bearings at the NSC Oita plate mill
in Japan
48 PLATE MILLS: Closer to the Major MarketsIn-house manufacture of the Mulpic plate-cooling
system in China
50 HOT-STRIP ROLLING: Hot-Strip Quality – Any Time, Any Place Technology packages for quality improvements in
hot-strip mills
56 COLD ROLLING: Potential for ContinuousImprovementCold-rolling technology packages for quality
improvements
62 SPECIAL PRODUCTS: Taking Reliability tothe Next Level Siroll Heavy Duty Shapemeter
64 MEDIA SUPPLY: Combined Expertise ForBetter Rolling Quaker Chemical Corporation, voestalpine Stahl
GmbH, Johannes Kepler University Linz and
Siemens VAI join forces to develop improved
coolants/lubricants
66 SERVICES: Working in Unison Successful spare-parts management with A-Class
components
PROCESSING
68 COLD BAND: Showcasing Top WorkshopPerformance Siemens VAI Montbrison
70 WORKSHOP: On Target with HGCIndustrializationMontbrison manufacturing
SERVICES
72 INTERVIEW: Ten Years of Outstand ingCaster ServiceInterview with Wilson Ferreira de Souza, Steel Plant
Director at Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional, Brazil
6 FACTS & FIGURES
74 AWARDS & EVENTS
78 PREVIEW
DIALOGUE
79 Contact
44Inspection of oil-film bearing bushing at the Siemens VAIfactory in Shanghai, China
metals &mining 2|2010 5
Minera Peñasquito, a mine located in Zacatecas, Mex-
ico, was opened up in recent years after large quanti-
ties of gold and silver ore were found during ex-
ploratory drilling. The mine has two 36-foot semi-
autogenous grinding (SAG) mills, each with a power
rating of 19.3 MW and fitted with Siemens gearless
drive systems. For the period of one year, Siemens is
handling all the maintenance work for the drive sys-
tems and the associated power systems, including
the primary high-voltage supply and the complete
medium- and low-voltage distribution. The mainte-
nance contract will help Minera Peñasquito to in-
crease the availability and reliability of its mills and
to minimize downtimes.
The contract involves preventive and condition-
based maintenance, repairs and spare-parts man-
agement. Remote diagnostic and maintenance tools
make monitoring the plant easier. Stand-by service
ensures that essential maintenance work is performed
quickly. The maintenance contract is in the form of
Maintenance Contract Goes to Siemens VAI
6 metals&mining 2|2010
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a performance-based agreement with corresponding
payment arrangements. To this end, key performance
indicators have been defined for important operating
parameters, such as availability. �
PT Krakatau Steel – based in Cilegon, in Indonesia’s
Banten province – is the largest steel producer in
the country. Each year the company manufactures
Steelworks Modernization Project in Indonesiasome 1.5 million tons of direct-reduced iron and 2.4
million tons of steel in its electric steelworks. The
steel is hot- and cold-rolled to coils and bars.
Krakatau Steel placed an order with Siemens VAI
for the modernization of its Slab Steel Plant No. 1.
The targets of this project are to increase the pro-
duction output, lower the specific energy con-
sumption and decrease operational costs. Siemens
VAI is responsible for the design, engineering, pro-
curement and the turnkey installation of all new and
modernized components of the steelworks, and will
coordinate the necessary construction activities.
Liquid steel is produced in the works by four elec-
tric arc furnaces, three of which will be completely
replaced by Siemens VAI. The installation of the new
EAFs also makes it necessary to modify the associ-
ated dust-cleaning systems to increase their clean-
ing capacity and availability.
The project also includes the revamping of two
continuous slab casters (CCM 1 and CCM 2) as well
as a complete renewal of secondary plant facilities
such as the water-treatment plant and the oxygen,
argon and compressed-air supply systems. �Casting bow of slab caster at PT Krakatau Steel, Indonesia
Siemens gearless drive
Company Country Project
ANSC-TKS Galvanizing Co., Ltd. (Tagal) China FAC* received for temper mill and tension leveler
Barrick Gold Corp. Australia Receipt of service contract for gearless drive
Codelco, Division Andina Chile First upgrading of SAG* mill automation system based on new upgrading conceptfor Sinamics SL150
Dragon Steel Corporation Taiwan Start-up of 2-strand slab caster
Gerdau Acominas S. A. Brazil FAC received for a 230 t RH/T-COB* plant
Groupe OCP Morocco New service contract for data-control system in Safi
Jinan Iron & Steel (Group) Co. China Start-up of 4.3 m wide plate mill for production of up to 1.8 million tons of platesper year
Jiuquan Iron & Steel Co. Ltd. China Start-up of 110 t AOD* converter, 110 t ladle furnace and 1-strand slab caster forproduction of stainless steels
Lumwana Mining Company Ltd. Zambia Extension of service contract for gearless drives by one year
Minera Los Pelambres Ltda. Chile FAC received for SAG mill and ball mill
Minera Penasquito, S. A. de C.V. Mexico Start-up of second Siemens-supplied SAG mill; receipt of maintenance contract andLevel 2 service support for gearless drives
Minera San Cristobal, S. A. Bolivia Extension of service contract for gearless drives for three years
Nanjing Iron & Steel Co. Ltd. China Start-up of process optimization system for sinter plant
Newcrest Mining Ltd. Australia Receipt of service contract for gearless drive
N.T.S. Steel Group Plc (Tata Steel) Thailand FAC received for hot-metal-charging turret
Saarschmiede GmbH Freiformschmiede Germany FAC received for a new VOD* cover, including drive unit. Start-up and FAC for nitrogen-blowing lance and transfer car
Shougang Qian’an Iron & Steel Co. Ltd. China FAC received for Lomas and Dynacon process optimization system for two LD(BOF) converters
Tata Steel Europe The Netherlands FAC received for continuous galvanizing line
voestalpine Stahl GmbH Austria FAC received for 170 t LD (BOF) converter replacements
voestalpine Stahl Donawitz GmbH & Co. KG Austria FAC received for Level 2 hot-stoves model for blast furnace
Zhangjiagang Rong Sheng Co. Ltd. China Start-up of two 180 t RH* vacuum-degassing plants, (mechanical core components,electrics, Level 1 and Level 2 automation)
metals&mining 2|2010 7
*AOD = argon oxygen decarburizationE/A = Electrics & AutomationFAC = final acceptance certificateRH = Ruhrstahl HeraeusSAG = semi-autogenous grindingT-COB = Technometal Combined Oxygen BlowingVOD = Vacuum Oxygen Decarburization
Plant Start-ups (February 1 to May 31, 2010)
Casting of beam blanks for the downstreamproduction of high-quality structures and supports
QUALITY EXCELLENCE
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A dedicated focus on quality needs and continuous improvements is decisivefor achieving excellent project results
Commitment toQualityQuality is a core pillar of the Siemens VAI corporate policy. It is not only an attributeof the products we sell, the customer standards we meet, or a set of principles thatgovern our work. It is a part of our culture, our attitude and an expression of ourcommitment to ex cellence. And a reputation for quality can only be earnedthrough hard work – in a series of evolu tionary and continuous improvementsteps that never cease.
metals&mining 2|2010 9
Optimized processes and strict quality control is the basis
for outstanding products
QUALITY EXCELLENCE
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10 metals&mining 2|2010
uality is the fulfillment of the requirements
of the customer.” This is how Werner Auer,
CEO, defined what quality means for
Siemens VAI. This topic relates to the products,
plants and equipment, their reliability, the
materials used, consumption figures, a plant’s
lifetime, emission values and much more. It is
important that the right level of quality be sup-
plied commensurate with the goals and targets
of a customer’s investment – similar to a tailor-
made suit that fits well.
Few companies are capable of supplying a full range
of metallurgical plants that ideally satisfy the varying
quality demands of different customers. Siemens VAI of-
fers this capability, extending from cost-driven, fit-for-
use, bare-bones plants that reliably and safely generate
products that satisfy the requirements of standard
downstream applications; to complex performance-dri-
ven metallurgical facilities incorporating the most so-
phisticated pro cess models and technological packages
to generate products that can be used for highly de-
manding purposes such as for gas pipelines and boilers.
Rigorous inspection by experiencedpersonnel ensures product suitability
for high-end applications
Q
metals&mining 2|2010 11
Quality at affordable pricesIn order to meet increasing demands of certain
countries and regions to produce quality products
with highly economical plants, Siemens VAI is cur-
rently introducing a new concept emphasizing com-
pact plant layout and modular machine design com-
bined with shortest supply, installation and start-
up times.
For example, producers will be able to cast good
billets with a remarkably affordable caster. Efficient
logistics and a maximized local supply will be the
basis for a short delivery time of all caster compo-
nents to the plant site. An innovative supply-chain
and modular installation concept will enable erec-
tion, start-up and commissioning to be finished in
record time. Not only will the billet caster be simple
to operate and easy to maintain, upgrading and ex-
pansion can be carried out quickly, efficiently and
in a cost-effective manner to meet growing market
demands. Similar concepts are currently under de-
velopment for other plant sections as well.
World-unique plants, exceptional technology,extraordinary productsAt the other end of the quality spectrum Siemens VAI
offers production facilities that are incomparable
with respect to the demands placed on equipment and
the high standards of the products. The following ex-
amples serve to demonstrate this capability:
In July 2010, a casting-thickness record was
achiev ed on the jumbo caster that Siemens VAI start-
ed up at Qinhuangdao Shouqin Metal Material Co.,
Ltd. For the first time ever, 400 mm thick slabs were
cast on a caster equipped with a straight mold. Fol-
lowing strand bending, all strands, including 400
mm thick formats, are straightened into the hori-
zontal position while the core is still liquid. This is
made possible by the robust design of the caster and
the wide range of installed technological packages.
Outstanding slabs are cast at a faster rate compared
to a similar-sized caster design employing solid-
core-strand straightening. The low- to high-carbon,
peritectic, structural and HSLA (high-strength, low-
alloy) steel grades cast are used for the production
of pipes and plates in the demanding shipbuilding
and petroleum industries.
In the rolling sector, a unique 4-high reversing
hot-rolling mill was started up by Siemens VAI at
Plansee Metall in December 2008. The rolling stand
is capable of exerting more than 50,000 kN of force
– the highest in the world currently employed for
the rolling of refractory metals such as molybde-
num, tantalum, tungsten, niobium and chromium.
The mill configuration, comprising a reversing
rolling stand, leveler, dividing shear, slitting ma-
chine and coiler, is fully automated from the heat-
ing furnaces to the downcoiler.
In April 2010, 0.8 mm thick strip with a width of
1,500 mm was rolled and coiled for the first time on
the Arvedi ESP Line in Cremona, Italy. This is the
world’s first linked thin-slab casting and direct-
rolling plant in which coils are produced from liq-
uid steel in a continuous and uninterrupted
process. Thin- and ultra-thin strip are routinely
rolled and coiled in weights exceeding 30 tons, con-
firming the stable and reliable process operations
of this highly compact, 190 m long production fa-
cility. A wide range of carbon and HSLA steel grades
were produced to date, all of which was commer-
cially sold. In recognition of the fulfillment of the
guarantee performance figures, Acciaieria Arvedi
S.p.A. issued the Final Acceptance Certificate (FAC)
to Siemens VAI in February, 2010. According to Cav-
aliere Giovanni Arvedi, inventor of the process,
“Operation of the Arvedi ESP line at Acciaieria Arve-
di has fully met expectations and overall product
quality is excellent.”
“Quality is the fulfillment of the requirements of thecustomer.”
Werner Auer, CEO of Siemens VAI
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First slab cast on the jumbo slab caster of Qinhuangdao Shouqin, China
QUALITY EXCELLENCE
Internationally standardized qualityA complete project package – from tender to plant
start-up and commissioning – must be well plan -
ned, coordinated and implemented. Because of eco-
nomic considerations, it is often not possible to cen-
trally design and manufacture all equipment and
components. This is why Siemens VAI has estab-
lished an international network of engineering and
manufacturing sites where high standards of
know-how, skill and capability are available, and
where lower local costs prevail. Ultimately, with the
right training, personnel supervision and applica-
tion of strict product-control standards, it makes no
difference at all where a plant is designed or where
the equipment is built. An intensive product focus
and specialization is a driving force behind quality
excellence.
Standardized quality control of company engi-
neering and manufacturing centers is comple-
mented by the strict demands placed on subsuppliers
to fully conform with Siemens VAI standards. Rigid
screening and selection of preferred suppliers is
performed so that price, quantity, delivery and qual-
ity targets can be met. Careful expediting by Siemens
VAI specialists ensures that manufactured goods
and equipment meet the required specifications.
Furthermore, a company-wide documentation sys-
tem is applied so that consistent quality is achieved
on an international basis.
Commitment to qualitySiemens VAI quality and project-management ex-
pertise is the result of decades of engineering and
12 metals&mining 2|2010
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Headquarters of Siemens VAI in Linz, Austria –
Committed to meeting the requirements of our customers
First 0.8 mm thick coil produced on the Arvedi ESP line atAcciaieria Arvedi, Cremona, Italy
“Operation of the ArvediESP line at AcciaieriaArvedi has fully met ex pectations and overallproduct quality is excellent.”
Cavaliere Giovanni Arvedi, Acciaieria Arvedi S.p.A., Italy
metals&mining 2|2010 13
AuthorDr. Lawrence [email protected]
plant-building experience that extends across the en-
tire iron and steel production chain, from mining to
the finished product. As part of the Siemens concern,
Siemens VAI uniquely offers vertical integration
capability for complete plants, comprising mechani-
cal equipment, drives, motors, all automation levels,
electrics, media-supply and environmental systems.
This is achieved in an international network of engi-
neering, service, workshop and manufacturing loca-
tions where the latest industrial standards of engi-
neering and manufacturing are applied. A rigidly ap-
plied quality-control system combined with product
life-cycle management and comprehensive services
ensures that all equipment, systems and processes
function and interact in an optimized manner. Cus-
tomer production and quality targets are thus fully
met by the proven capability of an experienced
single-source partner.
A key focus of this issue of metals&mining is
therefore placed on technical solutions and plant
references that describe and demonstrate solutions
that lead to improvements in plant, process and
product quality. A second focus of this issue is on
the quality culture within our company and the ded-
ication to excellence by our people.
Quality is an obligation to be met. It is a funda-
mental factor for a long-term business partnership
and decisive for common success. Siemens VAI is
committed to quality. �
Product quality results from qualityworkmanship combined with carefulquality control
BiographyHorst Wildemann (68) is a Professor of Eco -
nomics at the Technical University Munich.
His work focuses on manufacturing and logis -
tics as well as on issues of strategy and
corporate planning. Wildemann is considered
the greatest promoter of Kanban in the German-
speaking world and the father of the German
just-in-time concept. Horst Wildemann studied
mechanical engineering and business ad minis -
tration in Aachen and Cologne. He worked as an
engineer in the automotive industry before ob -
taining his doctorate (Dr. rer. pol.) in 1974 and
completing his habilitation in 1980 at the Uni -
versity of Cologne. Since 1980 he has taught as
a full professor of business adminis tration at the
universities of Bayreuth and Passau, and since
1988 at the Technical University Munich.
Alongside his duties as a university professor, he
runs a consulting institute for corporate planning
and logistics and is a supervisory board member
for several German industrial companies. Horst
Wildemann founded the Bavarian Quality Award
and since 1992 he has served as the expert
committee’s chair.
INTERVIEW
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14 metals&mining 2|2010
Establishing quality as a corporate culture
“A Question ofSurvival”Quality is gaining in importance as a competitive factor, since the success of pro ducts onthe market depends on how well a market player is able to adapt to and satisfy theneeds of a particular customer group. Prof. Dr. Dr. Horst Wildemann from the facultyof business administration with a focus on logistics at the Technical University Munichspeaks in this interview about quality as a management concept.
Prof. Wildemann, how would you define quality today?
Prof. Dr. Wildemann: In recent years, quality has de-
veloped from a function of production into a corpo-
rate philosophy. As such, the term quality does not
only denote adherence to product specifications, it
incorporates all the demands made by the customer.
This makes quality an important competitive factor,
since the success of products on the market depends
on how well a market player is able to adapt to the
needs of a particular customer group. Quality is no
longer just an image factor; it is becoming a question
of survival that has to be considered in all manage-
ment decisions. Companies have to act according to
the motto: “Do the right things right, and get them
right first time.”
What does that mean in concrete terms?
Wildemann: The only companies that can be suc-
cessful in the long term are those that adopt this phi-
losophy and master all three dimensions of quality –
strategy, management of core processes and employ-
ee motivation. Quality as a corporate strategy is a typ-
ical top-down exercise. The company management
has to want it; it has to grow from a seed in the minds
of the top managers. Quality as a corporate culture,
on the other hand, begins in the minds of every em-
ployee and, with regard to its introduction and per-
manent implementation, has a typical bottom-up
character.
In discussions about introducing a universal quality
ma nagement system, the term “quality excellence”
is heard increasingly frequently. What does this
term si gnify?
Wildemann: The aims of the quality excellence pro-
gram are, firstly, to mobilize all employees to improve
quality at the company. Secondly, the approaches
for driving innovation, productivity, logistics and
sales in all divisions of the company are aligned
with one another. Further aims are to universally
implement a permanent, self-supporting learn-
ing and improvement process, to promote cul-
tural development, to speed up
optimization processes in order to
achieve planned results, and to cut the
costs of quality.
How can the costs of quality be made trans-
parent?
Wildemann: Traditionally, quality costs can be di-
vided into the costs of errors, inspection and error
prevention. In order to be able to carry out a cost-
benefit analysis of quality management, however,
the quality costs have to be categorized as “costs of
compliance” and “costs of non-compliance.” While the
costs of compliance contribute to the success of the
company, the costs of non-compliance denote a waste
of resources. The costs of non-compliance therefore
have to be examined in order to optimize quality costs.
These can also be influenced in areas upstream from
production, such as research and development, design
and prototype building. The costs of compliance also
need to be considered. These include all activities re-
lated to the prevention of errors. If an optimization of
the total costs is undertaken, this division into two cat-
egories allows costs to be minimized while satisfying
100% of customer requirements. This can be clearly
demonstrated via the basic principle that the later an
error is discovered, the higher the costs. The aim
must therefore be to identify errors at an early stage
in order to bring about a compromise between
quality at optimal cost and a quality level in the
sense of customer demands.
Returning to the concept as a whole, how can
quality be assured in the long term?
Wildemann: As an executive depart-
ment, quality controlling has the task
of coordinating the quality im-
provement efforts of the individual
company divisions, providing them
with information, and monitoring the
economic viability of the measures. In re-
cent times there has been a call to more ef-
fectively align the content and methods of
quality management and the more economi-
cally driven controlling, and to integrate these
departments with one another. This allows their
con tributions to be
directed towards im-
provements in com-
pany quality and is-
sues of efficiency. To
achieve this, it is
necessary to point
out how quality
contributes to the
company’s success,
to translate quality
goals into opera-
tional requirements,
and to manage the
contributions using
a quality cost-benefit ana lysis as well as quality-
related figures. Furthermore, the ability to de-
liver quality is necessary for all value-creation
processes.�
© Magazine “Technik in Bayern” from the
Association of German Engineers, Munich
branch. The interview was conducted
by Wolfgang G. Nestler.
metals&mining 2|2010 15
Prof. Dr. Dr. Horst Wildemann
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Improvements in open-pit mining at RWE Power in Germany
Unmanned OperationBoosts Reliability
16 metals&mining 2|2010
Storage and transport systems that optimize
throughput times and guarantee requested
quality output are an important part of ad-
vanced facilities for the transfer of bulk materials. Sig-
nificant savings and improvements to get the re-
quested material in the specified quality can be
achieved through unmanned operation of stackers,
reclaimers and combined machines. The answer of
Siemens VAI is Simine MOM, a unique method to re-
liably and safely optimize reclaiming operations in
unmanned operation. The patented solution achieves
over 98.5% availability at lignite mines of RWE Power
in Germany’s Rhineland area.
RWE Power is the largest German producer of elec-
tricity with around 17,000 employees and a yearly out-
put of 180 TWh. Lignite makes up a good third of the
installed capacity and is therefore an important pil-
lar in the energy portfolio. With its yearly excavation
of around 100 million tons, RWE Power is the world’s
largest producer of lignite. Around 90% of the lignite
excavated at the company’s open-pit mines in
Garzweiler, Hambach and Inden is transformed into
electricity. In the last years, a dozen rail-bound stack-
ers and reclaimers at RWE Power’s Hambach and
Garzweiler open-pit mines have been equipped with
Simine MOM for unmanned operation.
Siemens VAI entered the picture in 2002 with the
implementation of unmanned operation at the stock-
yard of the Niederaußem power plant. The trigger for
this project was the addition of a new 1 GW power sta-
tion to the existing lignite power plant. The cutting-
edge technology implemented for the first time in this
project greatly increases efficiency and therefore
leads to a tremendous reduction of CO2 emissions. But
in order for the technology to work, the lignite has to
be of a consistent quality. This target could only be en-
sured by introducing an integrated stockpile man-
agement system that covers quality management of
the stockpile together with unmanned operation of
the stockyard machines. Simine MAQ, the material
and quality management system for bulk material
from Siemens VAI, is an integral part of Simine MOM.
With the first implementation of Simine MOM in com-
bination with Simine MAQ at an RWE Power stockyard,
the goal to secure the delivery of the requested
amount of lignite in the specified quality could be
achieved. The availability of the equipment in driver-
less mode reached over 98.5%, which meant that for
the long term the stockpile machinery could be op-
erated without personnel.
Automatic operation in Hambach and GarzweilerWith the experience gained in the first project, RWE
Power again awarded Siemens with the implementa-
tion of unmanned operation in the stockyards of the
open-pit mines at Hambach and Garzweiler. The lig-
nite excavated at the adjacent open-pit mines is tem-
porarily stored at the stockpile facility before it is
transported by train or on conveyer belts to the dif-
ferent lignite power plants and finishing plants. The
stockyards are made up of two stockpiles, which can
Reclaimer atNiederaußem stockyard equippedwith additionalsensors for unmann -ed operation
metals&mining 2|2010 17
Performance values for themodernization were verifiedduring a test phase.
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hold up to 400,000 tons of lignite. Each stockpile is 800
m long and divided into several sections for different
quality levels. The average daily intake of the power
plants and finishing plants is 140,000 tons of coal per
open-pit mine.
A special challenge for both stockyards was com-
missioning unmanned operation of the stackers and
reclaimers during running operation. The optimiza-
tion of the stackers and reclaimers in unmanned op-
eration as well as the training of the operating per-
sonnel in the control room took place during running
operations. All required performance values for the
entire modernization were verified and reached dur-
ing a test phase. The implementation of the un-
manned operation was finalized in 2008 for the stock-
yard in Hambach and in 2009 for Garzweiler.
Storage management based on a 3D modelA core component of Simine MOM unmanned oper-
ation is the 3D model of the stockpile. The model was
implemented in a separate project before the intro-
duction of Simine MAQ for material and quality man-
agement in the stockyards of Garzweiler and Ham-
bach. The material parameters of the lignite neces-
sary for quality tracking by Simine MAQ are inte-
grated in the 3D stockpile model up to cubic-meter
accuracy. Based on the current position of the stack-
er and reclaimer and the current stacked or re-
claimed volume measured on each stockpile device,
the model is updated continuously using mathe-
matical algorithms for each stacking or reclaiming
method. For the initial image of the stockpile and
the case that the volume scanners mounted on each
device fail, the height in the model can be measured
and updated by a laser scanner.
For unmanned operation, the control-room per-
sonnel specifies working area and parameters for
each job based on the model described above. A 2D
view of the 3D model provides the possibility to select
the desired working area, type of job and device. Fur-
ther necessary operation data for the unmanned op-
eration job are calculated automatically and, after ap-
proval by the operator, the new job is transferred to
the device itself. During execution of the job no addi-
tional support from personnel in the central control
room is necessary.
Additional operational support for the person-
nel in the central control room, like interrupting
a running job, initiating a new job for the same
device and restarting an interrupted job, is pro-
vided. This reduces the necessary support for the
unmanned operation to a minimum.
Along with the core components of Simine
MAQ and Simine MOM like stockpile manage-
ment as well as job management for the un-
manned operation, all status information from
the new unmanned operation mode were inte-
grated in the central stockyard control system
based on Simatic PCS7.
UNTERRUBRIK
18 metals&mining 2|2010
MATERIAL HANDLING
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A 3D view of the SimineMAQ system in theHambach open-pit mine.Lignite grades are represented in differentcolors
>>
The success story continuesIn the last few years, RWE Power awarded Siemens
VAI with further projects. For example, Siemens
equipped the new Garzweiler II mine, an extension
of the Garzweiler mine, with a new DCS system based
on Simatic PCS7 including a new central control
room and several other systems like video, commu-
nication network OTN, simulation and training sys-
tems, which are all necessary for operation of the
mine. The electrical equipment for the new convey-
er system for the extended mine was also delivered.
The successful implementation of the new control
system at Garzweiler II and RWE Power’s positive ex-
perience with the Siemens VAI regional mining
competence center in Cologne were among the driv-
ers that led to the order for the control system and
conveyor system for the extension of the company’s
Inden mine. �
AuthorHans-Jürgen [email protected]
metals&mining 2|2010 19
Photos of the stockpile at the open-pit minesHambach
Railbound bucket-wheel excavators
reclaim the lignitefrom the stockpile
to the followingconveyor system
to transport the material to
the train-loadingstation
BENEFICIATION
MIN
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>Minera Los Pelambres continues to place its trust in Siemens
A New Addition For More Copper Since January 2010, Chile’s Minera Los Pelambres has increased processing capacity forcopper ores – thanks to a new semi-autogenous grinding mill and a new ball mill, bothequipped with Siemens gearless drive systems. Siemens already equipped two mills forLos Pelambres in 1999 and has been responsible for maintenance of the conveyor-beltequipment for more than ten years.
20 metals&mining 2|2010
Siemens gearless drive
In 2009, Minera Los Pelambres, an operation of
Antofagasta Minerals plc, produced 311,600 tons of
copper concentrate and 7,800 tons of molybdenum.
The new ore-grinding mills that went online at the be-
ginning of 2010 were built as part of an expansion pro-
gram aimed at increasing copper production by ap-
proximately 100,000 tons. Siemens supplied the gear-
less drives for a 36-foot semi-autogenous grinding
(SAG) mill with a rated power of 15 MW and a 26-foot
ball mill with 15.5 MW of rated power.
In contrast to gear motors, gearless drive systems
feature higher system efficiency of up to 5% and the
highest levels of torque utilization, because me-
chanical parts between the motor and the mill are
eliminated.
These GD motors in the Simine Mill are connected
directly to the grinding drum. A cyclo-converter with
transvector control ensures exact settings of the mo-
tor’s operating point and highest efficiency also in the
partial-load range, for example to process changing
material hardness or to realize various modes of op-
eration.
Simple control of inching and creeping modes lets
mill maintenance procedures be set up quickly with-
out endangering the safety of the staff. When Simine
Mill GD is in inching mode, one rotation of the mill is
all that is needed to achieve the exact angle that was
preset by the operator, and it is not necessary to re-
peat the procedure. At the end of the inching opera-
tion the mill stops with balanced charge. During the
creeping mode with 0.3 rpm, the operator can direct-
ly control the mill while observing the mill and the
material. The result is shortened maintenance times.
Frozen Charge Shaker: optionalAll gearless drive systems can be equipped with the
patented Frozen Charge Shaker, which enables con-
trolled detachment of hardened charges stuck in the
mill shell. Manual cleaning is no longer necessary.
The Frozen Charge Shaker lifts the charge to an un-
critical angle and moves the mill in a harmless range
with varying speed and acceleration. The angle and
movement are designed to break the frozen charge.
In more than 40 years, Siemens has installed over
36 mills with a total of 820 MW installed power and
has provided more than 36 solutions for optimal pro-
ductivity. This track record is proven by over 335 ma-
chine years of successful operation time with more
than 99% drive availability. By continually applying
innovations, Siemens ensures that gearless drives
will provide even higher availability and that they
will be more productive and more economical in the
future. �
Siemens VAI has years of experience in the supplyof gearless drives.
metals&mining 2|2010 21
AuthorDaniel [email protected]
BLAST FURNACE
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22 metals&mining 2|2010
Stoves plant at Dragon Steel Corporation, Taichung, Taiwan
Solutions to improve the energy efficiency of hot-blast stoves
Don’t Let Your MoneyGo Up the ChimneyThe blast-heating process is one of the largest energy consumers in a steelworks andalso one of the leading sources of CO2 emissions to the atmosphere. Much can bedone to optimize stove performance with respect to overall blast furnace economyand energy consumption. Siemens VAI has developed several techniques that allowblast furnace operators to increase the efficiency of their stoves and thereby lowerfuel costs.
metals&mining 2|2010 23
Reducing the consumption of expensive metal-
lurgical coke in the blast furnace process is now
more important than ever. Coal injection into
the furnace through the tuyeres can reduce coke re-
quirements by 50%. A higher blast furnace capacity
can be achieved with increasingly higher blast tem-
peratures. The challenge for the stoves plant is to pro-
vide these temperatures at acceptable capital and op-
erational costs. A full process evaluation that looks
at the entire blast furnace performance and takes into
consideration various criteria such as stove capabil-
ities, plant-energy balances and other economic fac-
tors can determine the optimum solution for each
location.
Reduced energy requirements with waste-heatrecovery Typically 18% of the total heat input into the stove ex-
its through the chimney as waste gas. A waste-heat re-
covery (WHR) system can reclaim around half of this
energy loss. The WHR process is based on recovering
a portion of the sensible energy of the stove waste gas
and using it to preheat the blast furnace gas or com-
bustion air, or both. The recovered waste-gas heat re-
duces the total amount of energy required by the
stoves and allows the temperature of the stove-burner
flame to be increased, which significantly lowers the
required enrichment-gas rate. Furthermore, a high-
er flame temperature results during preheating, re-
ducing the required amount of enrichment gas if the
same flame and dome temperature are to be main-
tained. The layouts of two types of waste-heat recov-
ery systems are shown in Figures 1 and 2.
Combustion-air requirements decrease with the
installation of a waste-heat recovery system. This de-
crease is a result of the reduction in the enrichment-
gas rate, which requires more oxygen per unit of en-
ergy than the leaner blast furnace gas (BFG). The proj-
ect economics for a WHR system depend on the stove-
wind rate, hot-blast temperature and stove capacity in
addition to the pricing of the blast furnace gas, en-
richment gas and coke. Siemens VAI offers initial
stove-simulation computer modeling to determine
the potential benefits of a proposed WHR system. The
evaluation involves the appropriate iterations to de-
fine the stove conditions and required heat-exchanger
performance.
Cost reductions with stove-oxygen enrichment The flame temperature required to meet the dome
temperature setpoint can be met by adding pure
oxygen to the combustion air instead of using enrich-
ment gas, which significantly reduces combustion-
air requirements. Each Nm3/h of oxygen replaces
nearly 5 Nm3/h of combustion air. Although the re-
quired flame temperature can be reached with the
enriched combustion air, the total heat input is re-
duced when the enrichment gas is removed. The ad-
ditional heat input is made up by firing additional
blast furnace gas.
The net impact is a decrease in the enrichment-gas
firing rate, an increase in the blast furnace gas-firing
rate, and a significant decrease in the combustion-air-
flow rate. The total quantity of flue gas is reduced
slightly. This occurs because the BFG fuel components
(CO and H2) actually require less oxygen per unit of
energy released compared to natural gas. There is no
difference in stove performance as long as the com-
bustion gases are delivered at the same flow rate and
temperature. In all cases, the enrichment gas is re-
moved and enough oxygen is added to the combus-
tion air to maintain the same flame temperature. The >>
BLAST FURNACE
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24 metals&mining 2|2010
3Enrichment gas
3BF gas
3Combustion air
3Oxygen addition– Dome temperature– Waste O2
– Energy demand forhot blast
– Difference between calculated waste O2
and real waste O2
– Difference in flame-to-dome temperature
– Deviation load fromsetpoint
– Hot-stove efficiency– Difference between
total energy output vs. individual sums
Fastcontrol
Slow self-tuning
Fig. 3: Automation of hot-blast systems with self-learning control
Fig. 2: Indirect heat-recovery system with oil pipes (gas/oil system)
Fig. 1: Direct heat-recovery system with heat pipes (gas/gas system)
• Preheating of com -bustion gas and air to150°C–170ºC
• Less economical thandirect heat-pipesystems
• Location near mainsnot essential
• System suitable to re -trofit existing plants
• Preheating ofcombustion gas andair to 150°C–180ºC
• Economical design• Location dependent
on gas and air mains• Installation ideally
suited to new plants
Enrichment gas
BF gas
Combustion air
Chimney
Hot-blast stoves
Heat exchangersWaste gas
Hot-blast stoves
Waste gas
Chimney
BF gas
Gas separator
Storagetank
Circulationpumps
N2
Expansiontank
Combustion air
Heat exchangersEnrichment gas
metals&mining 2|2010 25
BFG firing rate is then increased, maintaining the
same air-fuel ratio, until the total heat input equals
the base condition. The total flue-gas flow remains
relatively constant, which results in a constant con-
vective heat-transfer coefficient in the stove checkers.
The project economics will depend on the stove-wind
rate, hot-blast temperature, stove capacity, oxygen
pricing and costs for the blast furnace gas and enrich-
ment gas. The capital cost includes the oxygen-supply
skids, spargers and local piping tie-ins as well as the
changes to the stove-firing control system. Considera-
tion also has to be given to any requirements for in-
creasing oxygen production at the supplier’s plant.
Improved performance of older stoves There is an additional situation where stove-oxygen en-
richment can help improve stove performance, name-
ly by allowing the hot-blast temperature to be in-
creased in old, damaged stoves with excessive pressure
drops that limit the hot-blast performance. Stove oxy-
gen enrichment can help when 1) the stoves cannot be
fully heated during the firing cycle, indicated by final
waste-gas temperatures below the design maximum,
and 2) stove firing is limited because the combustion-
air fan cannot deliver enough air to compensate for the
stove-pressure drop, as indicated by surging fan oper-
ation and/or high stove-pressure drops. The re-
quired amount of combustion air to fire the stove at a
given heat-input level is reduced accordingly.
Optimization of the stove-heating processLevel 2 automation systems have the capability to de-
tect faulty measurements and make setpoint correc-
tions to optimize the stove-heating process. The new
systems also focus on maximizing the hot-blast tem-
perature while minimizing energy consumption and
operating costs. Thermal models are used to deter-
mine the required heat input and flame-temperature
requirements. In particular, the models determine
the minimum dome temperature necessary to devel-
op the required hot-blast temperature, which allows
the required amount of expensive enrichment gas to
be minimized. The models also monitor the energy
input and output trends to fine-tune stove operation
and thus protect a stove from over- or underheating.
Modern Level 2 control systems combine short-
term direct control and longer self-tuning control as
illustrated in Figure 3. Rapid control is used to correct
the firing rate with respect to maintaining the prop-
er stoichiometric ratios, heat-input rates, dome tem-
perature, waste-gas temperature, waste-gas oxygen,
etc. Rapid control also reduces CO2 emissions and
maximizes stove efficiency. An intermediate feedback
control system allows measurement errors to be de-
termined as the basis for carrying out accurate firing
corrections. Long-term trends are monitored to opti-
mize stove efficiency performance. Corrections are
made when the overall heat storage is trending high
or low. The self-learning behavior enables measure-
ment errors to be identified and corrected, and even
allows the stoves to be controlled if an instrument is
defective by incorporating and evaluating all other
pertinent stove-operation information.
Modification of existing control systemsStove energy efficiency can also be improved by mod-
ifying existing control systems. Many current systems
provide stove-firing control routines to “automatic -
ally” control the blast furnace gas, enrichment-gas
and combustion-air-flow rates to meet heat input,
dome temperature and enrichment-gas setpoints.
However, these setpoints often require significant op-
erator input, which may lead to divergent operating
concepts from operator to operator. There is therefore
an increased risk of unstable operations, elevated en-
ergy consumption and higher overall operating costs.
Opportunities to garner large savings by reducing
dome temperature and enrichment-gas usage are of-
ten overlooked when a stove is operating below its
maximum design capacity.
Relatively simple modifications to existing control
systems can be made to improve the operational cost
efficiency of stoves. With the modified control system,
which is basically a spreadsheet based on stove-
modeling results that is added to the control screen,
the operator inputs the basic requirements such as the
hot-blast temperature, wind rate, heating value of the
blast furnace gas and cold-blast temperature. The
spreadsheet then calculates all the firing setpoints
for the operator to utilize and always compares the
enrichment-gas rate and the overall total fuel cost to
inform the operator about the lowest-cost option. The
spreadsheet model also provides a correction function
to assist the operator in making setpoint corrections
when actual measurements are known to be incorrect.
In addition to optimizing operation of existing
stoves, it is also very important to get the best return
on any repair or replacement. Alternatives with rela-
tively small differences in upfront capital costs can
have tremendous long-term differences in operating
performance, energy consumption, blast furnace
coke rate, CO2 emissions and other factors. �
AuthorsMike Fletcher, Peter Martin [email protected]
>>
ELECTRIC STEELMAKING
26 metals&mining 2|2010
Siemens VAI dedicated to a culture of quality
Quality Made inGermany
ST
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Precision work-manship on thecurrent-conductingelectrode arm
Bird’s-eye view of the
workshop
Manufacture of VOD roof in Willstätt-
Legelshurst
metals&mining 2|2010 27
Siemens VAI Germany has around 330 employ-
ees at the Willstätt-Legelshurst location. Under
a normal workload, 93 employees work in the
three halls that cover an area of 6,800 m2, which
equates to a yearly manufacturing capacity of 90,000
hours. This rate can be doubled as needed by out-
sourcing production to longtime partners that hold a
wealth of experience and technical knowledge.
Gerold Schaub, the head of production, sees a big
competitive advantage in linking development and
production at the Willstätt-Legelshurst location:
“The advantages of CAD/CAM can be fully exploit-
ed.” Schaub goes on to point out that in-house pro-
duction ensures quality standards are fully met –
even when components in customers’ facilities have
to be replaced immediately after being damaged or
when substantial damage is detected during in-
spections. “Continual assessments ensure that cus-
tomers always get the best solution in the quality
they expect,” says Schaub. In-house production and
development also has the advantage that in the de-
velopment of new products and components, new
methods can be easily implemented and tested with
a minimum of time. The experience gained later flows
into running production. “That’s the famous contin-
uous improvement pro cess,” says Schaub.
Fifty important core componentsHigh-current systems, current-conducting elec-
trode arms, valve stands and burner equipment as
well as all oxygen technology are especially difficult
to manufacture because of their material variety.
“This is where our employees’ many years of expe-
rience in manufacturing components in alloy and
non-alloy steels and in copper really pays off. Espe-
cially combinations of different materials are very
complex and difficult to work with,” explains
Schaub. And this requires a lot of experience in
welding. For customers the diligence pays off, since
well-constructed facilities and components are
highly dependable.
Schaub explains that at Siemens VAI Germany more
than 50 special core components have been identified
for which certain quality requirements apply. “More
than anything, quality is a mindset. That is why it is
important that every employee knows what really
matters. For my area this means that experts for qual-
ity assurance in welding are already included in the
pre-project phase, and their involvement ends with
the FAC, which is when the customer certifies that the
delivered solution meets all requirements.” >>
For more than 40 years, electric arcfurnaces, ladle furnaces and componentsfor vacuum technology like VD/VOD, RHand DETEM plants have been developedand manu factured at the Siemens VAI sitein Willstätt-Legelshurst. “Quality Made inGermany” has secured the manufacturingcenter in Southern Ger many a position asa world-leading supplier for electric steel -making techno logy and automation.
“Continual assessmentsensure that customersalways get the bestsolution in the quality they expect.”
Gerold Schaub, head of production
Valve stands – a core component manufactured at the Willstätt-Legelshurst workshop
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28 metals&mining 2|2010
How are you able to continuously increase
quality in production?
Roeming: We are creating a structure for permanent
quality control. In the framework of this project, we
are preparing job descriptions and developing qual-
ification profiles for employees in quality assurance.
At the same time we are continuing to develop re-
porting guidelines and to enforce quality assurance
normatives as well as quality management modules
and processes. It is important to have a trusting and
In times of globalization, “Made in Ger ma ny”is still a powerful argument that oftenjustifies the higher costs associated withmanufacturing in Germany. Since the be ginning of this year, the produc tion site inWillstätt-Legelshurst has a new team re -sponsible for production and quality. PetraKreuder, communications manager atSiemens VAI, spoke with Wolfgang Roeming,head of quality con trol and productionacceptance.
There is a further advantage to the Willstätt-
Legels hurst location: on-site industrial training.
Every year ten highly motivated and well-trained
workers complete an apprenticeship at the site’s
own training workshop.
Quality workmanship begins in the mindThose who come to Willstätt-Legelshurst are re-
minded of the current quality offensive: in the re-
ception area of the production facility hangs a
placard with the words “We are quality.” All em-
ployees act according to this guiding principle by
incorporating the quality claim in their daily
work. “An important prerequisite is open and di-
rect communication between management and
employees,” says Wolfgang Roeming, head of
quality control and production acceptance. Per-
manent and uninterrupted production monitor-
ing as well as coordination of planned acceptance
tests are also part of quality assurance, just as cor-
rect warehousing of welding materials like tech-
nical gases and welding powders. All activities
from welding supervision to quality assurance are
documented.
Interview
When good is not good enough“We are currently auditing potential suppliers,” says
Roeming. “Only then can we ensure continuous qual-
ity improvement.” This includes daily controls in a
two-shift system in which the incoming goods and
material certificates from raw materials like metal
>>
Wolfgang Roeming,head of qualitycontrol and produc-tion acceptance
ELECTRIC STEELMAKING
Elbow section of the offgas duct of an electric arc furnace
metals&mining 2|2010 29
open work atmosphere between production and qual-
ity assurance. We are also training our employees to
become welding experts by introducing them to new
test ing methods and by putting into practice the prin-
ciple of self-monitoring in the production halls.
Can employees see how well their teams
are performing?
Roeming: Yes. Every month each team is presented
with a report that shows the production workload,
quality assurance analyses, feedback reviews, and ad-
ditional costs incurred by manufacturing defects and
the frequency of errors. This way everyone in a team
is informed about the team’s performance.
Another area is continuous auditing.
What does this entail?
Roeming: In Willstätt we want to expand our produc-
tion capacity and manufacture more components for
secondary metallurgy. This means that we also pro-
duce welded constructions that are subjected to stat-
ic and dynamic loads and that can only be manufac-
tured according to DIN 18 800-7.
AuthorsGerold Schaub, Wolfgang Rö[email protected]
For verification of suitability in group E, welding
quality assurance for the manufacturing site and the
company have to be established. That is why our weld-
ing engineers and experts and the welders them-
selves attend training on a regular basis. With this
proof of suitability we can also review external pro-
ducers without the support of outside bodies like DVS
and TÜV. A further important certificate that our plant
holds is HP 0 AD 2000 / EG 97/23 for the planning, man-
ufacture and installation of steam, gas, fluid and hy-
draulic systems. Based on this certification we are able
to plan and manufacture oxygen, gas and steam con-
trol systems, valve stands and T-COB lances.
What does quality mean for you personally?
Roeming: I think quality is about customer satis-
faction and as few feedback reports from the con-
struction sites as possible. I hope that our partners
and project team members notice our efforts in
quality assurance. Only when teams effectively
work together can we hope to live up to the call of
our CEO Bertram Junker : “Where good is not good
enough because better is expected.” �
plates, pipes, sectional steel, etc., are examined. Here
the defined testing measurements and tolerances
from the construction phase are checked according to
determined test steps. The results are documented
and variations are sent back. A testing report is then
compiled and incorporated in the facility documen-
tation. There are also weekly controls to ensure com-
pliance with welding specifications and the estab-
lished production steps, and that even encompass-
es testing of the coating-film thickness.
“Our next goal is to increase worldwide expert
knowledge and to train employees to take on moni-
toring tasks at production sites in China, India and
Eastern Europe. This way we can be assured that
everywhere and at all times our products and solu-
tions fulfill the guaranteed quality standards,” ex-
plains Roeming. �
Another quality product ready for dispatch
Siemens VAI center of competence for electricsteelmaking in Willstätt-Legelhurst
SECONDARY METALLURGY
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Secondary metallurgical process optimization
Steel ExpertTakes Command
30 metals&mining 2|2010
Siemens VAI-supplied 250-ton ladle furnace for a Middle Eastern steel producer Siemens VAI offers a comprehensive series of Lev-
el 2 automation packages, marketed under the
brand name Simetal Optimization. These are ide-
ally suited for installation in all existing or new steel-
making facilities, including LD (BOF) converters, elec-
tric arc furnaces, ladle furnaces, ladle treatment stands
and vacuum-degassing plants. These packages are com-
prised of so-called Steel Expert process models, process-
tracking modules and the associated HMIs (human ma-
chine interface). The optimization of SecMet processes
involves control of basic production functions covering
the handling of production plan data, assignment of
quality requirements and process tracking. Steel pro-
ducers are thus assured of obtaining heats that strictly
follow the production plan and fully comply with the
targeted steel-grade definitions.
Steel Expert continuously informs operating per-
sonnel about the overall state of the heat (i.e., weight,
temperature and analysis) during treatment. All mod-
el calculations are performed based on the actual steel
condition without having to take samples after each ma-
terial addition. Heats are released to the casting ma-
chine on schedule, and the target chemical analysis is
consistently achieved with high accuracy.
Process optimization with advanced models Process models are started according to the actual treat-
ment phase. Process-optimization systems determine
Siemens VAI Level 2 process-optimi zationsystems for secondary metallurgicalfaci lities (SecMet) assist the steelmakerin achieving standardized and repro -ducible production of high-quality steel.The author tells how more than 100Simetal optimi za tion packages suppliedworldwide by Siemens VAI are helping tooptimize SecMet facilities of all kinds.
Ladle furnace control pulpitat Hadeed, Saudi Arabia
metals&mining 2|2010 31
AuthorStephan [email protected]
process setpoints by combining predefined instruc-
tions with model results. Siemens VAI Steel Expert
process models guide production from ladle takeover
until transfer to the next production step. The objective
of the model package is to release a heat exactly in ac-
cordance with the defined temperature and chemical
composition as required by the production plan. Where-
as the Steel Expert Supervision package is comprised of
cyclic models and oversees the metallurgical progress
and actual status of the steel during treatment, Steel Ex-
pert Setpoint models are used to calculate the materi-
als to be charged and the energy required for heating.
Process-supervision modelsThe Steel Expert Supervision cyclic model package
comprises different modules for metallurgical and
thermal calculations. Based on mass and energy bal-
ances, the model takes into consideration thermody-
namic and physical/chemical reactions as well as the
resulting enthalpies. From the start of treatment,
Steel Expert cyclically calculates the current state of
the steel bath with respect to the temperature, weight
and chemical analysis of steel and slag.
The cyclic metallurgical model of Steel Expert Su-
pervision calculates the changes in slag and steel-
bath analyses as a result of reduction and oxidation
reactions, the degassing of H, N, O, and C under vac-
uum conditions, and other effects such as carbon pick-
up due to arcing. Finally, the cyclic thermal model bal-
ances energy input and all energy losses that stem
from radiation, stirring, offgas and bath-surface loss-
es, allowing the actual temperature of the steel bath
to be periodically calculated.
At the start of treatment, the model initiates the cal-
culations according to the available heat information
from the previous production unit. The result of each
cyclic calculation represents the actual condition of
the heat and forms the basis and input for the next
calculation cycle. Information received from the ba-
sic automation system is considered, including stir-
ring or lift-gas information, electrical or chemical
heating, the type of material added to the ladle or vac-
uum vessel, and all measured values (Celox, Hydris,
steel sample, slag sample).
Each model calculation starts on the basis of the
calculated steel condition at the current time, re-
gardless of whether a sample or temperature meas-
urement was taken since the last material addition.
This feature reduces the number of samples required
during treatment.
Metallurgical setpoint modelsMetallurgical setpoint models are applied for fine ad-
justment of the chemical analysis and the temperature
of the steel bath. Processing steps during secondary
metallurgical treatment include deoxidation, alloying,
desulfurization by charging slag additives or by pow-
der injection, inclusion shape control, slag saturation,
oxygen blowing for decarburization, and temperature
control (electrical/chemical heating or cooling).
The Steel Expert Setpoint model calculates the types
and weights of materials to be added, taking into ac-
count the actual and target steel analysis and tempera-
ture. Metallurgical reactions between steel and slag fol-
lowing the addition of material up until the scheduled
ladle-departure time are considered in order to reach
the target analysis at the correct point in time. If sev-
eral materials are available for alloying, the model se-
lects a cost-efficient material combination. Special
treatment of certain elements and materials can also be
handled by the model. Elements or materials may be set
to some fixed or current value, assigned to a minimum
or maximum figure, or designated as “forbidden” and
not to be optimized. Furthermore, this alloying model
also allows various property restrictions to be account-
ed for, such as steel hardness and Jominy functions.
The ideal process-optimization solution is pro-
posed by Siemens VAI automation specialists on the
basis of existing site conditions, production targets
and budget restraints. The described so lutions typ-
ically pay for themselves within a short period of
time �
Main benefits
The operational benefits and advantages
that can be derived from Steel Expert process
models include:
• Continuous operator information about the
state of the heat (weight, temperature and
analysis) during the entire treatment process
• Performance of all calculations on the basis
of the actual steel condition without the need
for sampling
• Release of heats to the next production
unit on schedule
• Achievement of the target chemical analysis
with a high degree of accuracy
• Up to 15% cost savings for alloying materials,
as recently shown during steel-plant ope ra -
tions
• Reduction in temperature probe expenses
CONTINUOUS CASTING
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Next-generation process-optimization solutions in continuous casting
Getting CloseTo PerfectionSiemens VAI offers a comprehensive range of technological packages and process-opti mization models that cover all aspects of the continuous casting process. Well proven in hundreds of casting plants world wide, these solutions help to increase caster perfor man ce, plant availability, product quality and machine flexibility. Simult an e ously, operating andmaintenance costs are reduced. In the following, four examples of recent next-generation process-opti mi za tion models are presented.
32 metals&mining 2|2010
metals&mining 2|2010 33
Intermix is a sophisticated process model capable
of evaluating the composition of mixed steel
grades that are the result of sequence casting. On
the basis of this information, the product disposi-
tion of affected strand sections can be determined
quickly and reliably.
With the fully automatic and dynamic Dynacs 3D
secondary cooling model, the stand-temperature
profile and the required secondary cooling-water
quantities can now be more accurately calculated at
any position along the strand.
Highest internal strand homogeneity for the pro-
duction of superior-quality slabs is made possible
with improved DynaGap Soft Reduction technolo-
gy. In accordance with the Dynacs 3D-calculated
setpoints, precise adjustment of the roller taper in
the area of final strand solidification is made pos-
sible. This contributes to a decisive improvement
in product quality.
The VAIQ quality-control system allows qual-
ity deviations from target values to be detected
as early as possible in order to take appropriate
rectification measures.
Intermix – know the steel you’re casting During sequence casting, a mixing of steel grades
takes place in the tundish and consequently in
the strand with each ladle change. On the basis
of the chemical composition of the steel, Inter-
mix calculates whether the mixed steel zones may
be used for the foreseen product application, or
if the steel has to be downgraded or even scrapp -
ed. Information acquired from tundish flow ex-
periments combined with analysis results of steel
samples taken from solidified products ensures
a high degree of accuracy of Intermix predictions
with respect to the actual composition of the
mixed steel zones .
>>
>>
Intermix references and orders (examples)
Customer Country Caster Type
Acciaieria Arvedi Italy ESP plant (endless strip production)
ArcelorMittal Carinox Belgium 1-strand stainless steel slab caster
ArcelorMittal Eisenhüttenstadt Germany 2-strand slab caster
BlueScope Steel Australia 2-strand slab caster, 2x1-strand/twin-slab caster
Cosipa Brazil 2-strand slab caster
Deutsche Edelstahlwerke Germany 6-strand billet caster
Georgsmarienhütte Germany 6-strand billet caster
Jinan ISCO China 1-strand slab caster, 2x1-strand slab casters
Nanjing ISCO China 1-strand slab caster
ThyssenKrupp CSA Brazil 2x2-strand slab casters
Cyclic process dataCasting events Intermix model
Chemistrydetermination
Heat assignment
Heat volumeconcentrationalong strand
Heat rangesalong strand
Actual steelanalysis
Calculated analysis
Analysis limits
Fig. 1: Basic structure of the Intermix model
CONTINUOUS CASTING
The Intermix model (Figure 1) determines traces
of the previously cast heat present in the current
heat. Steel mixing takes place not only in the
tundish but also in the mold and upper parts of the
strand. Mixing in these areas is evaluated by a
mixbox-type submodel of Intermix that makes it
possible to calculate the chemical composition of
the steel at any position along the cast strand.
Tundish changes or the use of separator plates are
treated individually.
Intermix calculations are cyclically performed for
selected chemical elements starting with the “ladle
open event” of a new heat. The final decision about
the compatibility of heats cast in sequence is per-
formed by the heat-assignment function of Intermix.
The concentration profiles of certain critical elements
that have an impact on the final product disposition
– prime, downgraded or outright defect – are deter-
mined. A deviation is detected if one of the critical el-
ements does not match the steel-grade specification.
Output from the Intermix model allows the yield to
be maximized by applying cut-length optimization to
incompatible steel areas along the strand that are des-
ignated as scrap.
Dynacs 3D – a new dimension in secondary cooling More than 100 Simetal Dynacs secondary cooling
systems have been installed in slab casters world-
wide as of June 2010. The first-generation Dynacs
solution, introduced in the 1990s, was characterized
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34 metals&mining 2|2010
Intermix calculates whetherthe mixed steel zones maybe used for the foreseenproduct application, or if the steel has to be downgradedor even scrapped.
>>
metals&mining 2|2010 35
by a two-dimensional temperature calculation of
the strand center. The strand corners were largely
neglected by the process model. Continuous im-
provements in computer performance have now
made it possible to calculate the temperature at any
point within the entire strand in real time, in a full
three-dimensional mode and in a sufficiently fine
discretization (Figure 2). The model is based on an
explicit finite-volume approximation that solves
the heat-transfer equation and takes into consider-
ation temperature-dependent density as well as the
position-specific slab thickness and width. Dynacs
3D accurately assesses the heat transfer from the
slab surface resulting from radiation, heat transfer
to the rolls, natural convection and spray water.
Furthermore, Dynacs 3D can be applied for both
spray cooling and air-mist cooling and takes into
account the spray-distribution pattern of the noz-
zles. This ensures an accurate spray-cooling heat-
transfer prediction to temperatures below 700°C
when the Leidenfrost phenomena disappears. The
result is an even more precise determination of the
strand surface-temperature profile and the final
point of strand solidification.
In addition to specifying the desired surface tem-
perature along the strand length, Dynacs 3D en-
ables the temperature profile across the strand
width to be preset. Even individual control of the
water flow and positioning of each cooling nozzle
is possible. The control algorithms of Dynacs 3D
calculate the water-flow setpoints to achieve the tar-
get strand-surface temperature values.
Another highlight of Dynacs 3D is its capability to
calculate the natural shrinkage taper of the strand.
This enables the roll gap to be dynamically adjust-
ed exactly according to this strand taper, minimiz-
ing the influx of excessive liquid steel into the seg-
regation area. The result is considerably improved
internal homogeneity of the strand.
The offline maintenance and setup system allows
the cooling-relevant settings to be configured in such
a way that the spray-water distribution in the cooling
zones and the application of cooling practices are op-
timized for slab and bloom casting machines. Cus-
tomers’ metallurgical know-how can be easily incor-
porated into the Dynacs 3D automation setup. A built-
in offline simulation system enables comprehensive
testing of new parameter settings prior to application
in the production process.
The Dynacs 3D secondary cooling model has
already been successfully installed in the No. 6 Slab
Caster of voestalpine Stahl, Austria, as well as in the
CCM 3 Slab Caster of Chinese steel producer Qin-
huangdao Shouqin Metal Materials Co., Ltd.
Advanced DynaGap Soft ReductionDynaGap Soft Reduction stands for dynamic roll-gap
adjustment in continuous casting. This is made pos-
sible by specially designed strand-guide segments –
known as Smart Segments – in which the roller gaps >>
Fig. 2a (top): Calculated temperature profile of strand surface (top and side view, true colors)
Fig. 2b (bottom): Calculated temperature of strand cross section (center view, enhanced colors)
CONTINUOUS CASTING
can be remotely adjusted for strand-thickness
chan ges and for improved internal strand quality
(Figure 3). On the basis of the online information
provided by the Dynacs 3D thermal-tracking mod-
el (see previous topic), DynaGap dynamically cal-
culates the setpoints of the adjustable roll gap.
The new DynaGap model also takes into con-
sideration the steel shrinkage as calculated by
Dynacs 3D, which allows a more precise adjust-
ment of the roll-gap settings to be achieved. This
minimizes steel flow into the liquid or mushy
strand center and also results in a significant re-
duction of macrosegregations along the entire
length of the solidifying strand. Supervision of
the roll engagement, depending on the state of
solidification (liquid, mushy or solid) and the
calculated strand-thickness profile, is a decisive
factor for precise roll adjustments and thus im-
proved product quality. An optimized roll en-
gagement also reduces excessive forces on the
strand and decreases roller wear.
The more accurate control of the roller gaps allows
additional casting strategies to be implemented such
as liquid-core reduction and intentional bulging soft
reduction. This further increases casting flexibility and
product quality. DynaGap makes it possible to freely de-
fine start-up and tailing strategies based on the strand
thickness, steel grade, casting status or other events.
In this way roll damage and production interruptions,
which may arise from the different casting behavior of
the cold strand head or end, can be avoided.
The new DynaGap Soft Reduction model can be in-
stalled in existing DynaGap Soft Reduction systems
supplied by Siemens VAI, reusing existing equipment
and basic automation systems.
VAIQ – for the ultimate in steel quality To minimize additional costs related to non-
conformable quality, it is important to detect quality
deviations as early as possible so that appropriate rec-
tification measures can be taken. VAIQ addresses
quality issues during the early phases of steel pro-
duction – from steelmaking and refining up to and in-
cluding continuous casting and product disposition.
On the basis of the experience acquired from the in-
stallation and successful operation of the VAIQ sys-
tem at more than 200 steel plants worldwide, Siemens
VAI has developed a completely new generation of
VAIQ to further improve quality supervision.
VAIQ determines the necessary process setup for
quality-related process parameters, tracks the actual
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36 metals&mining 2|2010
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Fig. 3: Optimized adjustment of the roll-gap profile and highest internal strandquality with DynaGap Soft Reduction
Supervision of the roll engagement … is a decisivefactor for precise rolladjustments and thusimproved product quality.
metals&mining 2|2010 37
process parameters during production, predicts the qual-
ity of the liquid steel and cast products, and automatical-
ly determines subsequent product disposition. The latest
generation of VAIQ improves the functionality of the pre-
vious system and includes new operator guidance, high
data-tracking resolution and a completely new flexible ed-
itor for quality rules.
Quality rules can be tested offline using input data
from pre-defined test cases. This input data can be en-
tered manually into the system or selected from real
production data. Additionally, the expected rule output
is incorporated into the test-case data. In this way, the
method of so-called automated testing is supported,
which immediately informs the user of the pre-defined
test cases that have succeeded or failed. Thus, the re-
producibility of quality assurance is highly enhanced.
Besides executing test cases in a batch mode, stepwise
execution of the rules and output evaluation after each
step of rule execution is also supported. The rules are
released to production after sufficient testing and ap-
plied during the steel-production processes.
Online decision support and operator guidance is fa-
cilitated by the rule-based component. This allows con-
tinuous quality ratings to be carried out on the heats ap-
proaching the caster and during casting. Operators in the
control rooms for steel refining and casting are guided by
the information displayed on special screens to achieve
the quality goals. Furthermore, the quality rating of
the steel being processed is also shown and continu-
ously updated.
Machine-learning algorithms can be used for the
generation and training of models for quality pre-
diction. Sufficiently trained models can be run by
the rules engine during steel production for the on-
line prediction of product quality. Manually entered
quality rules and automatically trained models can
be combined into a hybrid overall quality-predic-
tion model.
VAIQ features high-performance and high-resolution
process-data tracking and fast rule execution to sup-
port online decision-making. In the new system ver-
sion the process-data-tracking resolution was im-
proved in such a way that each value transmitted from
a Level 1 system to VAIQ is permanently recorded and
a projection is supported for each value to the cast
length of the strand.
The Discovery System – part of VAIQ – provides
the metallurgists with a database containing gen-
eral production information, process data as well as
quality inspection results such as those originating
from surface-inspection systems. Data that is of in-
terest can easily be selected from the huge amount of
information, and thus routine work, which is nor-
mally necessary for data collection, is eliminated.
Frequently used methods for data evaluations are
readily available in the system. Reports and graphs
can be generated with overviews and details of process
and quality. The cause-effect relationships between
process parameters and quality results can be ana-
lyzed.
Application of VAIQ leads to a number of advan-
tages for steel producers. These include improved and
reliable product quality thanks to operator guidance
for achieving consistent and systematic production
processes; cost savings resulting from reduced prod-
uct inspection and conditioning; and assured product
quality during direct or hot charging when visual op-
erator inspection is not possible. �
AuthorsDr. Kurt Dittenberger, Dr. Peter Juza, Wolfgang Kibler,Norbert Hübner, Reinhold Leitner, Dr. Franz [email protected]
A new generation of VAIQ for even better quality controlin steelmaking and continuous casting
Application of VAIQ leads to a number of advantages for steel producers.
CULTURE
PA
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Zollverein World Cultural Heritage site in Essen, Germany
A Symbol of the CreativeSpirit of the Ruhr AreaBlast furnaces, shaft towers, stockpiles and gas tanks are monuments to the Ruhr area’s 150-yearindustrial past. Its transformation from industrial region to cultural mecca can be increasinglyseen in the 53 municipalities that make up the greater Ruhr area and are this year collectively theEuropean Capital of Culture. Many abandoned production sites have developed into lively culturalareas and attractive venues. The Zollverein – a Unesco World Cultural site – serves as a testamentto this change.
38 metals&mining 2|2010
The characteristic winding tower built in 1930 became a prototype for many central conveying systems
metals&mining 2|2010 39
Until it was shut in 1986, the central shaft at Zol-
lverein XII coal mine was regarded not only as
the most modern but also as the most beauti-
ful colliery in the world. Simple, cubical structures, the
use of reinforced concrete and steel framework, and a
brick façade characterize the architecture of Fritz
Schupp and Martin Kremmer. With a production ca-
pacity of 12,000 tons of coal everyday, shaft XII pro-
duced as much coal as the previous four facilities with
a total of eleven shafts. In the 1970s, shaft XII also trans-
ported coal from other mines not belonging to Zol-
lverein. After the last of the economically recoverable
coal supplies were excavated, workers laid down their
tools for the last time on December 23, 1986. The facil-
ity, whose every detail was carefully planned by its ar-
chitects, was left nearly untouched. Along with the cen-
tral coking plant, built in 1961 and designed in the same
style by Fritz Schupp, the two buildings represent a
masterpiece of functional industrial architecture. Be-
cause of the steel crisis and the sinking demand for
coke, the coking plant was shut down on June 30, 1993.
For nine years now, the central shaft XII, the coking
plant and the original shaft 1/2/8 have been part of the
Unesco World Cultural Heritage. Originally conceived
to be used temporarily, today the building ensemble
is not only being preserved but also further devel-
oped. Internationally renowned architects like Lord
Norman Forster, Rem Kohlhaas, Heinrich Böll and
Christoph Mäckler as well as the architectural firm
SANAA combine the past, present and future while
fulfilling the requirements set down by the World Cul-
tural Heritage.
The former boiler house with both upstream build-
ings for the high- and low-pressure compressors was
renovated by the London-based architectural office of
Lord Norman Foster in the framework of the Interna-
tional Building Exhibition (IBA) Emscher Park. In the
mid-1990s the Design Zentrum moved in, and today
the building houses the red dot design museum, the
world’s largest exhibition of contemporary design.
Despite reconstruction and removal of four of the five
boilers, the industrial monument still retains its orig-
inal ambience. In the middle of the three-nave hall is
the 23 m high stoker. From there visitors can take foot-
bridges and stairs to the four levels where they can
discover in exhibition berths mounted into the walls
award-winning furniture, industrial and communi-
cation design.
Architects Rem Kohlhaas and Heinrich Böll re-
designed the coal scrubber so that visitors could fol-
low the journey coal takes. A 58 m long gangway leads
to the 24 m level of the coal scrubber. There the Ruhr
Museum presents the fascinating story of one of the
world’s largest industrial regions. More than 5,000 ex-
hibits from all parts of the museum and more than 1,000
loan displays from all important museums and archives
of the Ruhr area document the history and self-image of
the region.
That the Zollverein lives on is best portrayed with the
SANAA Building, which houses the design faculty of the
Folkwang University of the Arts. The Japanese architec-
ture office Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa (SANAA)
further developed the architectural style of Schupp and
Kremmer. A white-gray cube made of exposed concrete
with an edge length of 35 m is spotted with frameless win-
dows at irregular intervals that give no indication of where
the individual floors begin and end. For its visionary
building design, SANAA was honored this year with the
Pritzker Prize, the most coveted architectural award. With
Lord Norman Forster (1999) and Rem Kohlhaas (2000),
three Pritzker winners are represented at the Zollverein.
In the meantime, art and architecture dominate the mine.
Already in 1992 Dusseldorf-based artist Ulrich Rückriem
moved his workshop into the former locksmith’s shop as
the first outpost of documenta IX. Today his monumental
ashlars are part of the sculpture forest on the stockpile
between the mine and coking plant. The installation La
Primavera from Californian artist Maria Nordman in the
boiler ash tower offers an unusual spatial experience, and
the Palace of Projects from Ilya and Emilia Kabakov in the
coking plant’s former salt depot welcomes visitors to a
world of utopias and dreams.
The plant swimming pool from Dirk Paschke and Daniel
Milohnic symbolizes the creative spirit of the Ruhr area.
With the coking plant as a backdrop, the artists welded to-
gether two overseas shipping containers to form a swim-
ming pool and surrounded it with sundecks made from
wooden planks. And at night, the 1,000 m long coke-oven
battery shines thanks to illumination by light designers
Mark Major and Jonathan Speis. As such, the Zollverein is
a key visual of the new, postindustrial Ruhr area where
new jobs have been created for artists, architects and
designers. �
CCR (Compact Cassette Rolling) stands inoperation at Villares Metals S.A., Brazil
INTERVIEW
What were the main reasons for your company’s
expansion project?
Luiz Garcia: In 2004, Böhler-Uddeholm, part of the
voestalpine Group since 2007, purchased Villares
Metals. The main reason for this acquisition was to
maintain and expand their global leadership in sev-
eral areas of high-alloy steel grades, such as tool
steels. As considerable growth is expected through-
out Latin America, especially in the oil & gas and au-
tomotive sectors, it was also their intention to become
the leading supplier of these specialty products in the
region. A key step to upgrade and strengthen Villares
Metals was to invest in a new finishing mill at the
Sumaré plant, since the original Villares works was
hampered by obsolete technology. With this invest-
ment, the rolling capacity could be increased by ap-
proximately 40%, productivity improved, the product
portfolio expanded with respect to grades and sizes,
and production processes could be concentrated at a
single site.
RO
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>Luiz Carlos Garcia da Silva Júnior on the new multi-line finishing rolling mill at Villares Metals S.A., Brazil
Lined Up for SuccessVillares Metals is a leading supplier of highly alloyed specialty and stainless steels thatfind use in the most demanding of aerospace, automotive, oil & gas, medical, defense,energy-generation, tooling and other industrial applications throughout the world.Siemens VAI supplied a multi-line finishing rolling mill at the company’s Sumaré plant,near São Paulo, which was completed in late 2007. It comprises a straight bar line, a wire-rod line and a large-flats line, and cooling and handling facilities, and it is capable ofrolling up to 85,000 tons per year of the most sophisticated steel grades (seemetals&mining 2|2008). Luiz Carlos Garcia da Silva Júnior, Rolling Mill Manager at VillaresMetals, spoke about the project, results and experience working with Siemens VAI.
40 metals&mining 2|2010
metals&mining 2|2010 41
ContactVillares Metals S.A.: www.villaresmetals.com.brSiemens VAI: [email protected]
Does the rolling mill supplied by Siemens VAI meet
your expectations in terms of operational reliability
and flexibility?
Luiz Garcia:Yes it does. Not only does the new mill meet
our expectations, in some cases it even exceeds them.
What improvements resulted from the start-up of the
new multi-line finishing mill in terms of product quality,
tolerances and metallurgical properties?
Luiz Garcia: A dimensional tolerance of 1/3 DIN [Ger-
man Institute for Standards] was achieved in accor-
dance with contract specifications. This represents a
major improvement over previous operations. On the
metallurgical side, various thermo-mechanical treat-
ment steps were successfully introduced to produce dif-
ferent steel grades.
Have you been able to access new market segments?
Luiz Garcia: Yes, we have. With the new multiline fin-
ishing rolling mill we now also cater to market segments
that we could not access before, such as industrial
knives and blades and special electrodes for welding.
We can also produce coils comprising extremely hard
nickel alloys. The production of so-called black bars
used for manufacturing valve steel in internal combus-
tion engines is now also possible thanks to the improved
surface quality that the new rolling mill provides.
What were the key challenges that had to be overcome
during the project?
Luiz Garcia: During both the civil works and
equipment-installation phases several major chal-
lenges had to be dealt with. These required extensive
effort and commitment from Villares Metals and
Siemens VAI personnel. All of the project activities
had to be performed with a minimum of downtime in
the existing mill, which kept on rolling in the very
same construction area. And we were successful be-
cause ultimately there was no impact on annual pro-
duction figures. However, the hot and performance
tests during the commissioning phase posed the most
daunting challenges. The Villares Metals portfolio
consists of six different product lines for the manu-
facture of stainless, tool, high-speed valve, and engi-
neering steel as well as nickel-based special-steel al-
loys. Each type of steel has its own unique metallur-
gical properties and operational requirements, so an
extended period of time was needed for the testing
phase in order to have all significant examples of
grades and dimensions properly tested.
Why did you select Siemens VAI as the partner for
this project?
Luiz Garcia: The main reason was the package of
equipment and services that Siemens VAI was able to
provide. The consortium that had been established to
implement this turnkey project fully met the re-
quirements of Villares Metals. Moreover, the expert-
ise of Siemens VAI in connection with other projects
for high-alloy long-rolling mills with a similar port-
folio – such as the Böhler Edelstahl plant in Kapfen-
berg, Austria – was a key factor. The long-standing re-
lationship between Siemens VAI and the Böhler-Ud-
deholm group also played a role.
How would you characterize the overall working
relationship with Siemens VAI?
Luiz Garcia: It was just excellent. We sensed in all
Siemens VAI personnel a keen eagerness to solve the
problems as they came up, and we were impressed by
their strong technical competence and effective team-
work within the consortium. Inevitably there were
some situations with conflicting interests, yet com-
mon sense and sound judgment always prevailed.
Are any other investments planned by Villares
Metals for the near future?
Luiz Garcia: At the moment, our multiline finishing
rolling mill fully meets the needs of our customers,
who are involved in the most diversified segments. In-
vestments in the short term are therefore not cur-
rently planned. Obviously, future investments will de-
pend on how market requirements evolve. �
Luiz Carlos Garciada Silva Júnior,Rolling Mill Managerat Villares Metals S.A., Brazil
LONG-PRODUCT ROLLING
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42 metals&mining 2|2010
Early detection of barvariations can lowerenergy consumption byavoiding the production ofout-of-tolerance product.
Reducing setup times and ensuring tight product-
dimension tolerances is vital for the efficient
operation of rod and bar mills. Both require-
ments call for a gauge system that is capable of
measuring round, flat, square and hexagonal rods,
bars and billets.
More than two decades ago, the shadow principle
established itself as the standard for shape meas-
urements: A moving bar passes through the gauge
head guided by a cast-iron guide tube and is then
gauged by an optical system. A sensing camera
within the gauge head, located directly opposite the
light source, detects the shadow image cast by the
moving bar and determines the bar’s diameter. Oth-
er systems on the market use static or oscillating
gauges to perform the measurement (see Figure 1).
Neither one of these designs can provide the full
bar dimensions, and both are prone to errors due
to blind zones, resulting in lower online accuracy.
Furthermore, they are not able to provide the
means to monitor bar shape on an ongoing basis
with continuous data feedback.
Continuous measurement using a rotatinggaugeTo avoid these problems, Siemens VAI developed
the Siroll Orbis+ system. The system’s current de-
sign is the result of several decades of technical re-
finement based on many proven installations. By
continually rotating around the bar, the system de-
tects critical dimensions such as bar shoulders and
guide-way dimensions, and it gauges them irre-
spective of bar twist. Therefore, the system does not
need to be installed near the final mill stand.
Profile measurement for long products
Measuring Eye Sees EverythingQuasi-continuous bar-profile measurements help boost efficiency and yield at rod and bar mills.
The Siroll Orbis+ system in this photo is ready for production line installation
metals&mining 2|2010 43
AuthorsBrian Smith, Paul Pugsley, Neil [email protected]
The optical system is also based on the shadow
principle, but it rotates around the bar, constantly
scanning the entire profile (Figure 1). Using an LED
positioned at the focus of a collimating lens, the sys-
tem produces a parallel beam of light that is pro-
jected on the zone where the bar is passing. The bar
casts a shadow, which is focused onto a CCD array
where the shadowed photo sites are counted elec-
tronically to provide the bar’s diameter at a given
angular position.
Essentially, the Siroll Orbis+ system consists of
a gauge head, an interface box and an operator
workstation. The head is installed in the production
line, generally after the final stand, with the inter-
face box located in a nearby protected position.
Measurement data from the gauge head are trans-
mitted to the operator workstation using a wireless
data link between the head and an Ethernet net-
work. The operator workstation is generally sited in
the main pulpit and consists of a PC with a keyboard
and a 19-inch color TFT VDU monitor.
The measurement head contains an air-purging
system, which keeps the optical system windows
clear of dust, dirt and scale, and prevents scale and
water from entering the gauge with the rod. Mount-
ed on a rigid base, the gauge is protected from the
mill environment by steel covers.
An optional optical pyrometer can measure bar
temperature. Using its output, all hot diameter
measurements can be corrected to the correspon-
ding values at 20°C before being displayed on the
operator screen. The system’s electronics are pow-
ered using an isolation transformer/voltage condi-
tioner that ensures safety and minimizes electrical
interference.
Orbis+ gauging operationThe workstation displays key dimensions at pre-set
angles as well as the essential maximum and mini-
mum dimensions both numerically and graphical-
ly. Additionally, the system can show longitudinal
trends and weight per unit length (see Figure 2). The
graph displays a polar plot, highlighting bar defects
like over- or underfill, etc., to help quickly identify
potential process problems.
Depending on the system version, the Orbis+
gauge can provide up to 400 profiles per minute
with a maximum accuracy of ±0.01 mm. System cal-
ibration is performed automatically on entering the
actual dimensions for a test sample.
Precision and speed for responsive process controlThe Orbis+ gauge system is capable of displaying cold
corrected dimensions in real time, which helps to re-
duce the time required to make adjustments to the mill
so that even the first bar can be rolled to size. By con-
stantly measuring product dimensions, size changes
can be detected early and alarms can be triggered to
warn operators. These features help to reduce scrap
and avoid the production of out-of-tolerance bars. The
Siroll Orbis+ system leverages a higher line efficiency
with a very high and quantifiable ROI. �
Fig. 2: The Siroll Orbis+ graphical display presents a polarplot to help quickly identify potential process problems
Static gauges
Oscillating gauges
Rotating gauges
1–18 axis of measurement
2–18 axis of measurement90–300°
Oscillation360° rotation
Fig. 1: The rotational measurement principle provides a 360° viewof rod and bar dimensions
LONG-PRODUCT ROLLING
Customers are central to the quality process.
Employees at all levels and in every depart-
ment understand the Siemens VAI definition
of quality – ”conformance to customer require-
ments” – and have spent time learning what steps
are necessary to reach the goal of zero defects.
“Do it right the first time is easy to say,” agrees
Ed Kenney, Senior Vice President of Manufacturing
for the Long Rolling Business, “but this can be dif-
ficult to achieve without a wholesale change in
thinking about how day-to-day work is accom-
plished. Employees must first ask ‘What is my goal?’
followed by ‘What specifically prevents me from
reaching it?’ It’s a journey of continuous improve-
ment coupled with quality improvement,” Kenney
says. “Employees now recognize that they them-
selves – not the inspection department – are re-
sponsible for the quality of their work.”
“The ultimate customer is the buyer of the com-
pany’s patented high-speed rolling equipment, yet
for company employees the initial customer is the
colleague down the line who handles the next step
in production,” notes Don Bolduc, Director, Quality
Management. “The requirements must not only be
clear, but clearly understood. “The less rework in-
volved, the faster delivery times can be achieved.”
Tracking the journey of roll housings offers one
example of the problem-solving approach to quali-
ty. Their manufacture includes bolting and unbolt-
ing a front plate. An employee-team analysis found
that the plates travel the full length of the Worces-
ter manufacturing facility to have seven bolts at-
tached and inspected, and then they return to the
other end of the building for further boring, ma-
chining and unbolting before being sent off-site for
nickel plating. Once delivered back in-house, the
plates travel again to be rebolted prior to final as-
sembly and shipment. “All told, we found the plates
made six trips through the shop, which equaled one
hour on a forklift truck,” says Dennis McGugan, Con-
RO
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>A long tradition of quality in long rolling
Quality Begins withThe CustomerFor employees and customers alike, the sign on the entrance door of the Siemens VAIbuilding in Worcester, Massachusetts, sends a clear message: “Welcome to the QualityZone.” The sign may be new, but the message is well understood by all those who havepassed through that door. Since 1988 there has been a quality culture within the formerMorgan Construction Company, now the headquarters for the Siemens VAI long-rollingbusiness.
44 metals&mining 2|2010
Message on the entrance door of thelong-rolling headquarters of Siemens
VAI in Worcester, Massachusetts
metals&mining 2|2010 45
AuthorsDonald Bolduc, Allison [email protected]
tinuous Improvement Manager and one of the first
U.S. Siemens Production System (SPS) experts. And
the team’s solution? Move the bolting equipment –
an air gun and a table – over to the machining area,
color code the required parts to streamline the steps
involved, and significantly reduce production time.
Customers first prompted the focus on quality. In
the mid-1980s, a customer audit reported “We put out
a great product, but we don’t know how we do it,” re-
counts Philip R. Morgan, former CEO of Morgan Con-
struction and now consultant to the long-rolling busi-
ness. Morgan began the education process for all em-
ployees in 1989 and has driven the business to pur-
sue quality through the prevention of defects ever
since. Specific program names have changed over the
years, but the message has remained constant: “All
work is a process, a series of actions that when de-
signed properly provide a desired result.” This mes-
sage has been imparted to at least 1,000 people who
have undergone training in Worcester and at compa-
ny facilities in India, Brazil and China. “The beauty of
the quality process,” says Morgan, “is that it’s
straightforward and easy to grasp.”
Earlier this year, employees began to work
through the Siemens Production System (SPS),
which looks at the entire value stream of the pro-
duction process, from material supplies and fi-
nancing all the way through to equipment installa-
tion on the customer site. The same approach to
quality applies to SPS, as teams seek to eliminate
waste at every turn.
To reach the “quality zone,” one basic but essen-
tial question has to be asked: “What can we do bet-
ter?” One way to find out is through FitBack, a cus-
tomer feedback system that can help target specif-
ic areas for improvement. Changes in work process
may occur far from the production floor, in the of-
fice or at the drawing table. SPS analysis extends
from initial product innovation and engineering to
prototype, sales, order fulfillment, delivery and on-
site assembly.
As change occurs, the new challenge is to sustain
improvement. Training at all long-rolling locations
has reminded employees of the fundamental ele-
ments of quality. “As the FitBack system has shown,”
Kenney notes, “we have a good quality reputation in
the marketplace.” The journey continues with SPS
and its vision to improve manufacturing processes.
Says McGugan: “If you attack the process, you can
really achieve production excellence.” �
Quality improvement often begins with small steps: Material flow can have a significant impact on the qua lity of a manufacturing process. Above: Before theprocess analysis, an un organized pallet of materialheaded to the roll housing as sembly area; it was diffi-cult to identify which parts might be missing. Below: A customized skid clearly organizes all parts and helpsemployees quickly identify missing parts. The docu-mented time savings: 76 minutes per housing.
“All work is a process, a series of actions that whende sign ed properly provide a desired result.”
Philip R. Morgan, former CEO of Morgan Construction Co.
Before
After
PLATE MILLS
The original mill stand at the NSC Oita works
has the world’s only bearings with sleeves
greater than 1.75 m in diameter, first designed
by Mesta. As part of the upgrade for the massive re-
versing plate mill, NSC decided to make the new
stand’s rolls and bearing parts functionally inter-
changeable with those in the existing stand. Because
NSC did not want to be constrained by the 1970s-era
bearing technology of the existing stand, early in the
design process the engineering team partnered with
the Morgoil Bearing Division of Morgan.
After analyzing the existing equipment at the Oita
works, the Morgoil engineers proposed a number
of design and manufacturing improvements, all of
which were accepted. Gabriel Royo, Vice President
of MS Rolling Services and Morgoil, comments:
“Thanks to our oil-film bearing know-how, an old-
er mill with an outdated, non-Morgoil bearing could
RO
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>
New Morgoil bearings at the NSC Oita plate mill in Japan
World’s Largest Oil-Film Bearings
46 metals&mining 2|2010
Of the many grades of steel plate rolled by Nippon Steel Corporation (NSC), those productsdesigned for the shipbuilding industry are in particularly high demand. In response, NSCdecided to increase capacity by installing a second stand at the company’s Oita works. TheMorgoil Bearing Division of Morgan Construction, a Siemens VAI business, was contracted toupgrade the plate mill in Oita, which is equipped with the world’s largest-diameter oil-filmbearings ever produced for flat mills.
Inspection of an oil-filmbearing bushing at theSiemens VAI factory inShanghai, China
metals&mining 2|2010 47
AuthorsThomas C. Wojtkowski Jr., Gabriel F. [email protected]
be transformed into a 21st-century bearing with sig-
nificant capacity, operational and maintenance ad-
vantages. A tailored solution like this is a hallmark
of the Morgoil Division.”
Custom conversion solutionsThe sealing system was converted into a customized
neck-seal arrangement. Simultaneously with a re-
duction in the maintenance time and a decrease in
maintenance costs, the conversion allows a larger
turndown of the backup rolls and extends their
service life by more than 10%.
Locking systems, which hold the bearing onto the
back-up roll, are an important upgradeable part of
the bearing assembly. A unique hydraulic lock was
designed to mount the bearing quickly and safely.
This eliminated the need for an overhead crane to
tighten the lock, which the prior design had re-
quired. The design of the radial bearing compo-
nents (sleeves and bushings) was also updated with
modern lubrication features.
The sleeves, featuring an outside diameter of 1.70 m,
are the largest in the world. They were ground using
Morgoil proprietary sleeve-grinding technology. This
resulted in a wall-thickness variation of less than
5 microns. The new sleeves are significantly more pre-
cise than the old sleeves, and full interchangeability
was maintained.
The bushings were manufactured using Morgoil’s
own circumferential Babbitt welding process. This
allows for a controlled deposition of different white-
metal bearing materials with excellent consistency
and high quality.
Global supply capabilityDespite the size of the components and the rela-
tively short delivery time, Morgoil was able to meet
the stringent supply schedule of NSC. The locking
and sealing components were made at the Morgan
facility in Worcester, Massachusetts, where engi-
neering was also performed. The sleeves and bush-
ings and all of the external static components were
manufactured at the Siemens VAI factory in Shang-
hai, China, which has at its disposal the world’s
largest sleeve grinder for tapered neck bearings.
During the last decade more circumferentially
welded bushings were produced at this site than at
any other Morgan location.
As part of the production process, the customer
visited and audited the Shanghai factory, observing
in detail all the critical processes and procedures
that would be used for the special bearings for the
new mill stand. The sleeve-grinding process and cir-
cumferential Babbitt welding process were of par-
ticular interest. The customer was so impressed that
the final agreement designated the Shanghai facil-
ity as the sole supplier for the sleeves and bushings.
Production ramp-up ahead of scheduleBy July 2009, all bearing parts were on-site in Oita
and ready for commissioning, which started the fol-
lowing month. Since then, the new mill stand has
increased production capacity smoothly and well
ahead of schedule. �
“Thanks to our oil-film bear ing know-how, anolder mill with an outdated,non-Morgoil bearing couldbe transformed into a21st-century bearing with signi ficant capacity, oper-a tional and maintenanceadvan ta ges.”
Gabriel Royo, Siemens VAI
Application of proprietary circumferential Babbittwelding technology
PLATE MILLS
Mulpic plate-cooling equipment is now being as-
sembled at the Siemens VAI factory in Taicang.
Siemens VAI in the UK holds the exclusive license for
Mulpic, which is split into individual component pack-
ages for separate sourcing. The components are then
assembled in Taicang under strictest quality-control
supervision. Exhaustive testing in the Taicang work-
In-house manufacture of the Mulpic plate-cooling system in China
Closer to the Major Markets
48 metals&mining 2|2010
A golden rule in a global economy callsfor locating production value chainsclose to major markets whenever pos -sible. Con se quently, Siemens VAI nowmanufactures and assembles Mulpic plate-cooling equip ment in-house in China. Inthe Siemens VAI China factory, situated in Taicang, around 40 km to the west ofShanghai, equip ment for the iron andsteel industry is manufactur ed for boththe Chinese market and for world wideuse in Siemens VAI products.
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The Taicang factory was established in 2004 to
produce and assemble high-quality equip-
ment for aluminum mills, bar mills, billet
casters, cooling beds, gear reducers, mill guides and
tube mills. The factory set new standards for foil-
mill manufacture and assembly in terms of high-
tech product performance, high-quality manufac-
turing and cost efficiency. Through the utilization
of local, in-house manufacturing resources, com-
petitive pricing combined with strict quality-
control supervision is assured. In 2008 and with
business growing, Siemens VAI added new facilities
with 3,100 m2 of additional floor space, pushing the
total floor space to 4,500 m2. The new building has
an extensive area dedicated to precision assembly
of items like rolling-mill stands and features two 50-
ton overhead cranes and a modern office space over
five stories.
First Mulpic equipment assembled at TaicangThe customers of modern plate mills are demand-
ing products with higher strengths, increased
toughness and better weldability. And nowadays
customers expect many of these products, such as
high-strength line pipe, to be produced using on-
line cooling in addition to microalloying and ther-
momechanical rolling practices. Mulpic technology
is capable of meeting these demands by providing
both accelerated cooling (AC) and direct-quench
(DQ) cooling of plates over a wide thickness range
in a single online system.
Mulpic installation in 4.1 m plate mill of Wuyang Iron and Steel Co. Ltd., China
Siemens VAI has receivedsome 20 Mulpic orders for installation in platemills throughout Europeand Asia.
metals&mining 2|2010 49
AuthorGary [email protected]
shop prior to delivery assures full functionality and
reliability of all equipment and systems. The result is
an excellent finished product. The first Mulpic order
to be assembled in the Taicang plant was for a Japan-
ese plate producer, with start-up in July 2010.
Growth driver for the Siemens VAI portfolioWhereas operating costs and specific production
quality, safety and environmental requirements in-
fluence plant-engineering purchasing decisions in
the traditional steel markets, in the new markets
like China and India Siemens VAI has to focus on
meeting the local requirements with standard so-
lutions. This requires proximity to the customer.
“We will only be successful if we are perceived as
a local enterprise,” explains Tim Dawidowsky, pre-
viously responsible for Siemens’ mining and steel
business in China. High-tech manufacturers in Eu-
rope, the United States and Japan are continuing to
focus on efficiency and flexibility of their produc-
tion processes. In China and India, however, the em-
phasis is on producing steel with simpler and cheap-
er plants to develop infrastructure. “Siemens VAI is
going to develop plants specifically for this segment
of the market and launch them onto the world mar-
ket from China and India,” Dawidowsky says.
Within the scope of the worldwide competence
and production matrix, Siemens VAI China will also
be given the responsibility for the development and
design, engineering, production, project handling,
commissioning and service of new developments in
the field of rolling. �
Siemens VAI has received some 20Mulpic orders for installation in platemills throughout Europe and Asia
Assembly of the Mulpic systemin the Taicang workshopMulpic entry-zone separation sprays
HOT-STRIP ROLLING
50 metals&mining 2|2010
The hot-strip mill is the main supplier of hot band in many steel plants. Mill availabilityand quality are therefore crucial, since every unplanned shutdown also affects upstreamand downstream production. Optimal presetting and control is needed to minimize scale,out-of-tolerance production, crop losses and overwidth losses. Efforts of Siemens VAIto develop and supply the best equipment for new hot-strip mills have led to manyimprovements and inventions. Siemens VAI has also developed technology packagesdedicated to the modernization of existing mills to keep these plants up to date andcompetitive.
Roughing mill with attached edger
RO
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Technology packages for quality improvements in hot-strip mills
Hot-Strip Quality –Any Time, Any Place
metals&mining 2|2010 51
Managers of hot-rolling mills face an in-
creasing demand for high-quality products.
This trend will remain at a high level and
will grow even further. Among the quality features
sought are geometric properties such as uniformity
and repeatability of width, thickness and flatness.
Surface properties are equally important, since dam-
age to the hot-rolled strip is permanent. Recent im-
provements in quality and productivity have been
strongly driven by developments in automation. Au-
tomation excels when high targets of dimensional tol-
erance, microstructure and surface quality must be
met. The Siroll HM modernization packages for hot-
strip mills are aligned to improve product quality, ex-
tend the product mix, reduce conversion costs, in-
crease throughput, ensure safety and protect the en-
vironment. This article focuses on short descriptions
of selected packages targeting improvements in strip
quality (Figure 1).
The components and line concepts for hot-rolling
mills are optimized in terms of delivery time, func-
tionality and complexity. The technology packages
comprise know-how and expertise in process tech-
nology, layout competence, mechanical equipment,
electronics, hydraulics, drives and automation sys-
tems as well as turnkey competence from in-house re-
sources of Siemens VAI. The essential requirement –
to keep downtimes and disturbances of production for
the installation of new equipment as low as possible
– can be achieved with offline assembly and compo-
nent pre-testing in the workshops. Where suitable, in-
tegration tests in the workshop or on site before the
equipment is used for production are performed to
ensure optimum functionality.
DescalingIn terms of product quality, surface requirements can
be met with a more effective descaling process.
Siemens VAI descalers are designed for low heat loss-
es, and minimum water and energy consumption. The
descaling solutions are characterized by the use of
variable-speed pumps with high flow rates powered
by inverter-driven AC motors and the application of
an optimized nozzle pattern. The benefits of this
descaling package are reduced investment costs and
lower maintenance costs as well as substantial ener-
gy savings due to flexible operation according to
process requirements. >>
Fig. 1: Overview and classification of modernization packages
Advanced mill pacing and management of reheating system
Descaling
Edger-width package
Encopanels
Coilbox
Crop-shear solutions
Work-roll lubrication
Hydraulic automatic gauge control (HGC) package
Profile and flatness package (incl. SmartCrown)
Advanced work-roll cooling
Morgoil bearings
Microstructure target cooling
Upgrade cooling system
Microstructure monitor
Downcoiler package (Power Coiler)
Pinch-roll polisher
Surface-inspection package
Sample-taking station
Safety packages
Quality improvement
Reduction in operating costs
Product-mix extension
Safety, green solution
Thic
kn
ess
/wid
th
Pro
file
/fla
tne
ss
Su
rfa
ce
Pro
du
ctiv
ity
/yie
ld
Ma
inte
na
nce
Pe
rso
nn
el
Ne
w d
ime
nsi
on
s
Ne
w s
tee
l gra
de
s
Sa
fety
En
vir
on
me
nta
l p
rote
ctio
n
En
erg
y s
avin
gs
Targets to be achieved
� � � �� � � �
� �� � � �
� � � �� � � � �
� � � � � �� � � �
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� � � � �� �� � � � �� � �� � �
� � � �� �
� ��
HOT-STRIP ROLLING
Edger-width packageThe final strip quality can also be affected by devia-
tions in slabs and transfer bars: deviations in slab tem-
perature or slab width lead to significant deviations
in the final strip width and decreased geometrical
strip quality.
In addition to the heavy edger solution with highly
effective and reliable width reductions that decrease
the number of slab formats and thus improve quali-
ty, the Siemens VAI edger-width package offers com-
pensation for wedge-shaped slabs and temperature
deviations. The fully hydraulic vertical edger lets roll-
gap adjustments be made during rolling. Advanced
automatic width-control functions (AWC) enable the
compensation for width and temperature deviations
whereby the short stroke compensation (SSC) reduces
narrow head and fishtail effects. Highest accuracy is
offered through the absolute width measurement,
which can be extended to the Siroll camber gauge to
provide real online camber measurement at high ac-
curacy, linearity and reliability with two stereoscopic
cameras. The possible steering and cobble reduction
resulting from this package lead to reduced losses and
damages and improved width quality.
EncopanelsThe Encopanel heat-retention system is installed af-
ter the roughing mill and conserves the heat of the
transfer bars and enables a more accurate control of
the strip temperature. This is achieved by automatic
selective raising or lowering of the heat-retention
panels. The solution allows also the strip-edge tem-
peratures to be maintained at a higher temperature
for rolling in the finishing mill, thereby avoiding edge
cracking. As a special feature, bottom-scale clearing
panels are mounted on specially designed carry-over
bars, which oscillate to ensure that scale is discharged
from the system to provide a scale-free Encopanel face
to the transfer bar, which assures a high-quality strip.
Coil boxAs an alternative to Encopanels, the coil box coils the
roughed strip after the last roughing mill pass. The
roughed strip is then moved to the uncoiling station
and uncoiled for rolling in the finishing mill at the
speed required to feed the finishing mill. With the
use of a coil box, thinner and longer roughed strips
can be created. This improves the load of the finish-
ing mill and therefore the quality of thin-gauge
rolling. The thermal losses of the remaining strip
compared to uncoiled strips are reduced. Typically
no or only very small temperature speed-ups are re-
quired, leading to less speed variations in the mill
and better cooling control after the finishing mill.
Better thermal homogeneity leads to better thickness
performance and better surface quality, since tem-RO
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52 metals&mining 2|2010
>>
Encopanels allow the strip-edge temperature to be maintained at a higher temperature forrolling in the finishing line
metals&mining 2|2010 53
perature differences equalize due to strip contact
with other strip parts.
The Siemens VAI coil box is characterized by mod-
ern design features such as coil transfer without the
use of a mandrel, a heat shield, simultaneous coil-
ing and uncoiling operation, a pinch-roll leveler
unit and special measures to keep high surface qual-
ity, especially for stainless steel. Advantages of this
equipment include reduced power rating and lower
energy consumption in the mill train as well as
shorter line length.
Work-roll lubricationBy installing good barrel lubrication for work rolls,
surface defects are avoided and roll wear and roll force
are reduced. The advantage of this Siroll HM solution
is the effective application of lubrication media onto
the work rolls, avoiding scale build-up and peeling of
the work-roll surface. A minimum of rolling oil is con-
sumed because the oil is applied precisely at selected
times and controlled exactly to ensure stable rolling.
A lower coefficient of friction between the work rolls
and the strip leads to a significant reduction of the
rolling force and improvement of the work-roll sur-
face quality, and thus to better strip quality (see met-
als&mining 03|2009).
Hydraulic gauge control (HGC)The main motivation for installing an HGC package is
better mill performance as limitations in roll force
and insufficient speed response times are extended.
The impact on strip quality is realized through the im-
proved gauge tolerances achieved with the hydraulic
gauge control compared to older HGCs or electro-
mechanical screw-down systems.
Siemens VAI offers three types of HGC packages for
new mills and for modernizations: long-stroke de-
sign, short-stroke design, and servovalves located
close to hydraulic cylinders on top of the mill stands.
For modernizations, the electro-mechanic or older
hydraulic screw down is replaced and sophisticated,
non-linear hydraulic gauge control is applied. This
step is taken to ensure improved thickness tolerances
for every cylinder layout and to set the basis for uni-
form thickness of the strip.
Profile and flatness package, including SmartCrownProfile and flatness are geometrical quality parame-
ters affected by closer and closer tolerances and re-
quirements. With the variable work-roll bending and
shifting system SmartCrown a worldwide estab-
lished and installed technology is available to con-
trol profile and flatness. Due to SmartCrown's large
adjustment capability, only one grind can replace all
roll grinds of conventional rolls, which are usually
employed in a mill stand in order to comply with the
profile and roll-shape requirements of various
rolling programs. Complemented with flexible and
economical bending solutions such as the L-shape
bending block, the actuator capabilities for modern
mills can be implemented with less effort compared
to other solutions. In addition, the profile and flat-
ness package includes sophisticated models that
apply fast online optimization algorithms and detailed
calculations of roll and strip shape. This permits the >>
Application of work-roll lubrication contributes toimproved strip quality
Finishing mill equipped with various technological packages
HOT-STRIP ROLLING
suppression of many types of buckles including higher-
order strip defects such as quarter buckles (see
metals&mining 03|2009).
Advanced work-roll coolingDue to bending or virtual crown limitations, certain roll-
gap profiles cannot be achieved. The Siemens VAI ad-
vanced work-roll cooling system features not only an in-
creased cooling power but also dynamic work-roll cool-
ing with cooling flows that can be adjusted in a certain
range over the width. The system applies a dynamic flow
in headers equipped with different nozzle patterns: ba-
sic, negative or positive roll cooling. Basic roll cooling
ensures that the roll is sufficiently cooled to meet the
rolling conditions of the plant. Positive roll cooling ap-
plies more water to the edges of the roll. Negative roll
cooling applies more water to the center and reduces
the thermal effects on the inner part of the roll. When
all these systems are brought together, highly flexible
control can be achieved. Working alongside the roll
bending and shifting system, strip profile and flatness
control have another actuator for influencing the roll
shape and this cooling system also avoids surface de-
fects and reduces roll wear.
The improvement of strip quality is achieved by en-
hanced shape control, which results from the adjust-
ment of specific flow rates along the roll barrel by
proper combination of headers, the control of ther-
mal expansion of work roll, and a wider control range
of the profile of loaded roll gap and strip. Further im-
provements of rolls and strip-surface quality are
achieved by reduced peeling and banding, which
means fewer strip-surface defects. Scale breaking
away from the strip is washed away and prevented
from being rolled in.
Strip-cooling packageA very important aspect for strip quality is the selec-
tion of an appropriate cooling technology. Advanced
cooling solutions from Siemens VAI for the hot-strip
mill include highly efficient equipment components,
cooling control, and models for optimum cooling re-
sults for all kinds of steel grades including solutions
for modern multiphase grades. Nearly all needs for
cooling rates and budgets can be fulfilled with power
cooling headers for high cooling rates; laminar turbo
headers with high water flow and normal laminar
headers, both available with variable flow control or
switch valves; and quick switch headers for ultrafast
switching times. This is important for the revamp and
upgrade of existing plants, and for new steel grades
facing space limitations that need to be resolved.
Siemens VAI developed a new cooling-section con-
trol system using the Gibbs' free enthalpy to calculate
the steel transformation very precisely on the basis of
a thermodynamic model. New developments in the
physical modeling of steel transformation make it
possible to compute temperature and phase fractions
along the entire cooling section – in real time. By
means of a model-predictive control function, the
stipulated time curve of cooling in the cooling section
is optimally adhered to for the whole strip within the
limits of the plant. This enables Siemens VAI to offer
a cooling section that works right on the steel pro-
ducer’s targets – the microstructure properties of the
strip (see metals&mining 03|2009).
Pinch-roll polisherMaterial deposited on the surface of pinch rolls dur-
ing strip coiling on the down coiler negatively affects
the strip surface and must be removed periodically by
means of grinding. The automatic pinch-roll polish-
er was developed to detect, locate and remove the sur-
face deposits for the upper and lower pinch roll and
to improve strip-surface quality.
The innovative technology is based on a grinding
system that traverses the rotating pinch roll and au-
tomatically recognizes material deposits. By means of
oscillating movements, the unit grinds this deposit
only where it occurs and until it has been completely
RO
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54 metals&mining 2|2010
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metals&mining 2|2010 55
AuthorBerta [email protected]
removed (Figures 2 and 3). The system also automat-
ically inspects the surface profile and wear condi-
tion of the pinch roll in order to determine the
optimum time for a roll change.
A grinding head equipped with vibration sensors
detects and removes stickers on the pinch-roll sur-
face. Areas with deposits generate an increased
vibration level, causing the grinding head to shift ac-
cordingly and remove contaminants. The average du-
ration of a total cycle is only 100 seconds, which means
a pinch-roll polishing procedure can be done during
regular operation; no specific shutdowns or rolling
interruptions of the hot-strip mill are necessary.
SIAS – surface inspection packageSurface defects are rarely detected directly after the
rolling process but often later during inspection or
even some days later during pickling. As the require-
ments for strip quality are very high, there is a seri-
ous risk of material loss due to surface defects in many
coils.
With the SIAS surface inspection system, Siemens
VAI developed strip-scan technology with a line cam-
era configuration and a sophisticated light system for
optimum picture quality, which is the starting point
for good detection and classification of surface de-
fects. Real-time image display enables 100% length in-
spection to be realized. The system features a poly-
morphic detection algorithm and a Coulomb Hyper-
Sphere classifier. Best non-defect performance can be
assured with near-zero civil-work installation on the
hot-strip mill.
With these examples as well as other technology
packages and solutions for hot-strip mills, Siemens
VAI provides solutions for a fast return on investment
that keep mills at peak performance. �
Cooling line including a strip-cooling package
Fig. 2 and 3: Demonstration of roll-surface improvement
Frequency(Hz)
Frequency(Hz)
Position(mm)
Position(mm)
Signal analysis after detection
8000
6000
4000
2000
Am
pli
tud
e
140120
10080
6040
200
0
16001400
12001000
800600
400
Signal analysis after grindingA
mp
litu
de
800070006000
4000
20001000
3000
5000
140
120
10080
60
40
20
0
16001400
12001000
800600
400
COLD ROLLING
To satisfy the market’s ever-growing quality re-
quirements, manufacturers need to meet qual-
ity demands with the highest cost efficiency.
Operators of existing cold-rolling mills have a range
of options available to optimize their plants.
Upgrade to continuous operationContinuous operation ensures tightly stabilized
process conditions and high process efficiency for a
wide range of cold-mill products so that stringent
product-quality specifications can be met. Continu-
ously operating cold mills provide the capability for
output optimization. Reduced strip-head and tail-end
losses also contribute to better overall yield.
Upgrades to continuous operation are typically car-
ried out on batch-type tandem cold mills or continu-
ous pickling lines with tandem cold mills to produce
a CTCM or a PLTCM, respectively.
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Cold-rolling technology packages for quality improvements
Potential for ContinuousImprovementMeeting today’s quality requirements means producing perfectly flat strip on a consistent basis, which demands highly sophisticated actuators, measurement and control systems. This article details ways to keep existing cold-rolling lines on the forefront of technology.
56 metals&mining 2|2010
Production ofperfectly flat strip
metals&mining 2|2010 57
The upgrade to a PLTCM eliminates threading and
unthreading operations and enables substantial ca-
pacity increases (see Figure 2). Quality and yield im-
provements and operational savings over batch oper-
ations are further benefits. The linkage with a pick-
ling line eliminates intermediate coil handling and
storage provisions, both of which compromise quali-
ty and yield. The resulting just-in-time processing
from hot coil to pickled and cold-rolled coil provides
further cost savings (see Figure 2).
Pickling-section optimizationCarbon steel strip has to be pickled perfectly before
being cold rolled or sold. New, increasingly complex
regulations also raise the bar in terms of safety and
environmental protection. A package from Siemens
VAI for the pickling process section comprises the
complete chemical treatment up to the strip dryer
with all ancillary infrastructure systems.
A unique feature of this package is the Siroll Faplac
(Fully Automatic Pickle Liquor Analysis and Control)
system with a rinse and pickling process model that
ensures efficient operation by controlling acid and
iron concentration (waste acid). Additional roll and
strip-temperature models ensure that tight process-
temperature tolerances are met. These models help
avoid overheating, prolong operating life, and lower
the consumption of pickling liquor while guarantee-
ing high pickling-surface quality (see metals&mining
1/2009).
The additional automatic Siroll SIAS surface in-
spection system at the end of the line provides data
feedback for pickling-line process control, checks
product quality, and detects pickling failures or strip
marks.
A new generation of Siemens VAI scale breakers
helps to improve surface quality. The scale breakers
feature a compact design, short line shutdown for in-
stallation and cold commissioning, quick on-the-fly
cassette exchange, low energy consumption and low
maintenance costs. A highly efficient scale-exhaust
system using wet or dry system processes cuts dust >>
Improvements
+ 40%
- 40%- 50%
- 20%
- 90%
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100%
Savings
Cold-rolling packages for qualityimprovements
Fig. 2: The conversion of an existingpickling line and an existing batchmill to a PLTCM offers substantialsavings and improvements100% represents separate units for pickling and cold rolling
* related to hot strip
Upgrade to continuous operation
Pickling-section optimization
Flatness-quality package
Drive-train package
Strip-cleanliness quality package
Roll eccentricity compensation (REC)
Automatic gauge control (AGC) andthickness control package
SIROLL Off-gauge optimizer
Speed optimization system (SOS)
Dynamic rolling program (DRP)
Equipment Performance Analyzer
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Reduction of Quality Product-mix Environment operating costs improvement extension Safety
Motivation for modernization measures
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COLD ROLLING
emissions. Special backup rolls with integrated forced
ventilation protect bearings from dust, thus increas-
ing bending roll operating life.
An anticross bow unit behind the leveling units can
help to improve strip flatness. The drive system for
the bridle rolls – necessary to achieve high strip ten-
sion – is available as a complete electrical solution
with separate drives for each roll, or as a combined
electro-mechanical solution with one main drive and
one overlap drive plus planetary gears.
Mill-stand upgrades for superior strip flatnessIn the future, many cold mills will process high-strength
and advanced high-strength steels (HSS/AHSS).
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58 metals&mining 2|2010
Continuous tandemcold mill atvoestalpine Stahl,Linz, Austria
Fig. 3: Siroll SmartCrown allowsdrastic reductions in the number of required product-dependent roll crowns.
>>
metals&mining 2|2010 59
This means new challenges for flatness control sys-
tems, since these grades require thickness accuracies
of a few micrometers and are more susceptible to
shape corrections in the mill.
The Siroll CM flatness-quality package offers solu-
tions to add, replace or enhance shape-control sys-
tems in any kind of cold-rolling mill. Beside thickness
accuracy of a few micrometers, the package includes
all relevant flatness actuators, the flatness measure-
ment systems and the flatness control system itself.
Flatness measurements can be provided either by
the Siemens VAI Planicim shapemeter roll system or
by the non-contact Siemens VAI Siflat (see metals
&mining 1/2010) measurement system. Siflat is
designed for use in reversing and non-reversing cold
mills for steel and nonferrous materials and features
high flatness measuring accuracy independent of
rolling speed. Additional characteristics include edge
detection and strip-width measurement. The system
boasts a long service life and low maintenance costs.
The backbone of the Siroll CM system is the Siroll
SmartCrown (see metals&mining 1/2010) roll con-
tour, which can be applied to the work and interme-
diate rolls. Due to its design, SmartCrown provides
second-order plus fourth- and sixth-order roll-con-
tour components. Today roll-shifting technology is
used not only as a quasi-static presetting device to
control roll stack deformation but also dynamically to
enhance the working range of associated roll-bend-
ing systems. This feature allows a drastic reduction in
the number of different product-dependent roll
crowns. Such a rolling mill can even handle complex
product mixes with only one roll contour used on all
mill stands (Figure 3).
On top of roll shifting and bending, multi-zone
cooling in the last mill stand is another powerful ac-
tuator for shape-defect residuals of all orders.
The Siroll CM flatness control system features self-
learning parameter optimization, enabling an adap-
tation to rolling conditions and material properties.
Also included are variable (selective) gain controllers
for a case-dependent control reaction, an optimiza-
tion of the dynamic bending adjustment range and a
disturbance variable feed forward for dynamic set-up
tracking. This helps to accommodate changes of
crown and wedge on the incoming strip as well as in
the thermal buff of the rolls. Beside its closed-loop
control functionality, the control system serves to
track incoming shape disturbances and to adjust the
dynamic set-up in downstream stands. Particularly
useful when rolling HSS and AHSS grades, this fea-
ture provides a highly stable shape-related set-up for
all kinds of operational conditions.
Drive-train upgradeIn terms of final strip quality, the performance of a
multi-stand mill largely depends on its main drives.
The reduction capability of the mill stand, especially
for hard grades, is influenced by the drive-train sys-
tem (motor, gears, spindels) and the work-roll diam-
eters. An upgrade of the mill-stand drive train will
provide a production capacity increase if the mill
stands are the major bottleneck for most of the pro-
duction. >>
Uniform finished surface quality at the pickling line of Dunaferr, Hungary
COLD ROLLING
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60 metals&mining 2|2010
A bottleneck study should therefore be performed
before committing to an upgrade. In this study, which
Siemens VAI can perform on request, the actual plant
operation is calculated with a pass schedule and
throughput calculation program to produce an
analysis of improvement variants.
Strip-cleanliness measuresRemaining liquids on the strip impair surface quali-
ty during recoiling. A strip blow-off system with a
special air-nozzle arrangement can be installed to re-
move any residual emulsion. The nozzles act on the
strip surface in a cascaded manner and directly form
the interfaces between work roll and strip, work roll
and backup roll, and between the intermediate and
backup roll in 6-high stands. The liquid removed by
the air blast is captured in an exhaust system. The
cleaning system guarantees efficient blow-off at all
mill speeds, ensuring highest strip-surface quality
after rolling.
Roll eccentricity compensationMill rolls create oscillations due to thermal asym-
metry, grinding inaccuracy, and asymmetrical ad-
justment of the Morgoil bearings via drive keys. Roll-
eccentricity frequency compensation is required to
eliminate any resulting strip thickness variations.
Siemens VAI has developed a new roll eccentricity
compensation (REC) system that evaluates eccen-
tricity based on strip thickness, roll force and strip-
tension variations (Figure 4). The system analyses
the incoming signals, extracts frequencies harmon-
ics from the rolls and calculates the required com-
pensation signals for all frequencies in real time.
These signals are then transformed into a position-
correction signal for the roll-gap control. The sys-
tem requires no learning sequence.
Automatic gauge controlTight strip-thickness tolerances like those required
by the automotive industry call for the use of ad-
vanced automatic gauge control (AGC) systems. The
Siemens VAI AGC package combines hydraulic cap-
sules, servo-valves, transducers and a control system
to create a comprehensive solution. Using a new ad-
vanced mass flow concept AMFnew, the system en-
sures a thickness precision to a few thousandth of a
millimeter and is capable of quickly reaching the tar-
get thickness after a dynamic rolling program change
in spite of imprecise setups. All roll-force cylinders
are manufactured in-house.
Off-gauge optimizationOff-gauge strip between production runs causes ex-
cess processing costs and lowers facility yield. Lever-
aging the mill’s hidden potential, the Siroll Off-Gauge
Optimizer package significantly cuts reprocessing
costs. The package combines technology, process con-
trol and instrumentation, and features the smart im-
plementation of the tandem cold mill control algo-
rithm based on the mass-flow principle.
In a reference installation at the voestalpine Stahl
continuous tandem cold mill (CTCM) in Linz, Austria,
the package proved its efficiency by shortening off-
gauge lengths by an average of approximately 8 m (the
total mean off-gauge length has been decreased from
13.72 m to 5.79 m). This corresponds to a yield increase
of 0.25% for a typical product mix, or to an output gain
of approximately 4,000 tons per year for an annual pro-
duction of 1.6 million tons. The investment in the pack-
age typically pays for itself in twelve months.
Equipment Performance AnalyzerThe Equipment Performance Analyzer management
strategy aims at enabling non-stop, top-speed and zero-
>>
Fig. 4: TheSiemens VAIRoll Eccentric-ity Compen-sation systemcalculates rolleccentricitycompensationsignals for allfrequencies in real time
metals&mining 2|2010 61
AuthorsSabine Fabris, Stéphane Georges, Anna [email protected]
defect production by detecting all losses. Instead of
just monitoring mill output, the Equipment Perform-
ance Analyzer package from Siemens VAI compares
actual with potential production, helping to identify
any shortcomings. Since most of the required data are
already available in the process automation system,
the package can be added fairly easily (see Figure 5).
The Equipment Performance Analyzer module not
only displays production efficiency but also shows
comparisons of present to past performance in con-
cise HMI reports. Fully customizable and requiring
only minimal manual input, the Equipment Perform-
ance Analyzer package ensures better personnel in-
volvement as operators acquire deep process knowl-
edge, follow indicators, identify stoppages and spread
best practices across all teams. In a recent installation
at the Tangshan PLTCM, users established a hall-of-
fame section in the HMI system for the operating
teams to compete against one another; the competi-
tion has led to fast production start-up and higher
productivity.
Speed optimization systemThe pickling and the tandem-mill sections of a PLTCM
need to operate in close coordination to reach maxi-
mum throughput; the speed optimization system
(SOS) package is the answer from Siemens VAI. The
SOS package prevents stoppages in the pickling and
tandem sections and ensures that the mill runs at a
constant speed with as few changes as possible. The
system uses data from basic automation (saddles oc-
cupancy, actual speeds and looper filling levels) plus
additional information from process
automation such as maximum pick-
ling speed or looper sizes. From this
data, the system calculates optimum
set points for all aggregates so that
the entire line works at the highest
throughput, operates smoothly and
ensures maximum service life for all
mechanical equipment.
Dynamic rolling strategiesTransitions within and between indi-
vidual strips in continuous tandem
mills need to be performed using spe-
cific methods to optimize production
and minimize yield losses. Two tran-
sition types are prevalent: The first is
a transition within a strip with an ex-
it gauge change or load distribution
optimization (e.g., to avoid equip-
ment limits). The second type refers
to transitions at a weld seam with or
without geometric or property changes.
The dynamic rolling program (DRP) from Siemens
VAI offers specific control strategies for these transi-
tion types and ensures safety and qualified weld
rolling. The implemented modes are flying-gauge
change (normal mode for light and heavy changes),
constant force rolling (for heavy changes), and open-
gap rolling for special cases. The DRP package ensures
a tight synchronization and task sharing between
process automation (for example taking care of strat-
egy selection, transition setups and wedge-length cal-
culation) and basic automation (managing weld track-
ing, switching mode and the selected closed-loop con-
trols). Automating these transition strategies helps to
minimize strip-breaking risks and increases produc-
tivity by eliminating manual mill-floor operations.
SummaryStaying at the forefront of rolling technology is a
continuous process. Siemens VAI quality-improve-
ment packages feature a smart plug-and-play ar-
chitecture that is flexible enough to adapt to many
environments and offers users a high degree of safe-
ty to meet project objectives and a quick return on
capital investment. �
Fig. 5: The Equipment Performance Analyzer module shows compar-isons of present to past performance in concise HMI reports
SPECIAL PRODUCTS
The Siroll Heavy Duty Shapemeter from
Siemens VAI provides a cost-effective online
flatness measurement system for cold-
rolling mills. Designed specifically for cold-mill
applications and based on the market-leading
Siroll Air Bearing Shapemeter Roll, the Siroll Heavy
Duty Shapemeter’s modular design enables it to be
tailored to suit any specific application without
compromising its full operating capability. The
load-bearing capability is greater than any previ-
ous air-bearing roll and new features that improve
performance have been incorporated.
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Siroll Heavy Duty Shapemeter
Taking ReliabilityTo the Next LevelAir-bearing technology has been used for decades in the metals industry. A recent addition to the Siemens VAI portfolio that depends on this technology is the Siroll Heavy DutyShapemeter, which has been specifically designed for cold-rolling-mill applications.
62 metals&mining 2|2010
Highest qualityToday’s rolling-mill operators are faced with the
challenges of producing the highest-quality materi-
al and maximizing productivity levels. Operators
must also make efforts to increase equipment relia-
bility, extend maintenance intervals, ensure opti-
mum performance at all times and introduce cost-
effective solutions. The Siroll Heavy Duty Shapeme-
ter addresses many of these issues with its Automatic
Trend Alignment (ATA) mechanism ensuring perfect
alignment to the rolled strip at all times, optimizing
performance and extending service intervals. Con-
metals&mining 2|2010 63
AuthorPaul Bowcher [email protected]
tinuous measurement, even at low mill speeds is a
key feature of air-bearing technology, which offers
significant performance advantages over alterna-
tive solutions. The modular design means that
spare-part inventory may be kept to a minimum. The
Siroll Heavy Duty Shapemeter easily accommodates
the increasing strip widths of modern cold mills and
is capable of measuring strip widths up to 3 m wide
with thicknesses up to 5.5 mm. Increased resolution
has also been achieved with the introduction of a
multi-height retraction mechanism, which is avail-
able on all rolls and includes thrust sensing for op-
timum roll sensitivity.
An all-around performerThe Siroll Heavy Duty Shapemeter is suitable for a va-
riety of materials including aluminum, carbon steel,
brass and copper. With very low inertia and negligi-
ble friction, there is no need for a helper drive. As a
result, the roll can be mounted closer to the roll bite,
even between the mill housing posts. The air-bearing
design has no electronics mounted in the roll; these
are located remotely, in a conveniently accessible po-
sition. The roll’s high sensitivity provides a continu-
ous signal output, which is totally independent of line
speed, while the simple design and modular con-
struction offer easy on-site servicing. �
The original Siroll Air Bearing Shapemeter Roll
Siroll Heavy Duty Shapemeter mounted on the ATA-enabled Retraction Mechanism
Benefits• Robust design specifically engineered for
cold-rolling mills
• Self-aligning
• Retraction mechanism as standard
• Longer maintenance intervals
• Faster commissioning
• Modular design construction for reduced
spare-part inventory
• Continuous measurement, even at low
mill speeds
• Automatic Trend Alignment (ATA)
• No helper drive required
• Exceptionally low friction
MEDIA SUPPLY
Quaker Chemical Corporation, voestalpine Stahl GmbH, Johannes KeplerUniversity Linz and Siemens VAI join forces to develop improved coolants/lubricants
Combined Expertise For Better RollingWith consideration to the ever-in creas ing production and application of high-strength steels inthe industry and the development of new pro duc tion processes, the need for highest-qualityand customized coolants/lubricants is more important than ever. In early 2009, Quaker Chemi -cal Corporation (Quaker), voestalpine Stahl GmbH, Johannes Kepler University Linz (JKU) andSiemens VAI therefore decided to pool their knowledge, experience and resources to developbetter cool ant/lubricant solutions for industrial applications.
64 metals&mining 2|2010
foreseen rolling applications. Moreover, it must be
ideally suited to meet the targeted quantity and qual-
ity requirements for various steel grades. “Optimized
coolants/lubricants are prerequisites for ensuring
smooth operations of the rolling mill,” says Dr. Dieter
Paesold, Cold Rolling Innovation Manager at
voestalpine Stahl.
Powerful partnersA close cooperation between rolling-mill suppliers,
coolant/lubricant manufacturers, rolling-mill opera-
tors and research institutes is therefore a vital pre-
requisite to develop oils and emulsions that meet all
rolling requirements. A crucial factor here is the in-
terdisciplinary understanding of the close physical
and chemical interaction of coolants/lubricants, fluid-
application techniques, media systems, mechanical
components, and the electrical and control equip-
ment used in a rolling mill.
For these reasons, Quaker, voestalpine Stahl, JKU
and Siemens VAI entered into an exclusive coopera-
tion in early 2009 to develop better lubricant/coolant
solutions for industrial applications. Siemens VAI
brings into this cooperation its extensive experience
and know-how related to the planning, en gin eering,
erection and commissioning of rolling mills. Quaker,
The need for customized and specially developed
coolants/lubricants in hot- and cold-rolling
mills is steadily increasing due to ever-greater
requirements placed on the rolling process and on
value-added products. In particular, the rolling of
high-strength steels poses enormous demands in
both the rolling mill and the coolant/lubricant to be
used. The applied medium must be optimized for all
“Optimized coolants/lubricants are prerequisites for ensuring smooth oper-ations of the rolling mill.”
Dr. Dieter Paesold, voestalpine Stahl
Producers will benefit from the cooperation betweenQuaker, voestalpine Stahl, JKU and Siemens VAI in thefield of coolants/lubricants
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metals&mining 2|2010 65
headquartered in the United States, contributes with
its vast knowledge about the chemistry, tribological*
properties and manufacture of lubricants and spe-
cialty fluids used in the metals industries. voestalpine
Stahl of Austria offers its operational know-how in the
rolling and processing of hot strip, cold strip, galva-
nized strip and electrical steel plates. This coopera-
tion is complemented by the involvement of the In-
stitute of Computer-Aided Methods in Mechanical En-
gineering at JKU Linz, which contributes its expert-
ise on the modeling of flat-rolling processes.
“With this exclusive cooperation, the partners have
Use of highest-quality coolants/lubricants in rolling is a decisive factor for smooth operation, top-qualityproducts and longer equipment lifetime
*Tribology is thescience and engi-neering of inter-acting surfaces in relative motion.It includes thestudy and appli-cation of theprinciples of fric-tion, lubricationand wear.
set an ideal stage for further improving the produc-
tivity of hot- and cold-rolling mills through cus-
tomized coolants/lubricants,” emphasizes Dr. Gerhard
Finstermann, Head of Technology & Innovation at
Siemens VAI.
“By pooling our forces and competencies, we can use
our collective, comprehensive experience in rolling-
mill technology and tribology to develop specific
solutions that our market requires,” adds Peter
Schellingerhout, Global R&D Manager for Rolling Oils
at Quaker.
Fruits of a unique cooperationIntensive research by the cooperation partners has
increased the overall knowledge and understanding
of the interrelated physical and chemical phenome-
na inside the roll bite, including their influence on
frictional conditions. Further tribological improve-
ments in the rolling process can be achieved through
specific adjustments of various rolling and lubrica-
tion parameters. Furthermore, advanced models and
tools are developed in an ongoing R&D project to pre-
dict rolling forces and rolling torques, taking into
consideration tribological influence parameters (e.g.,
surface roughness, lubricant parameters).
The application of sophisticated simulation mod-
els combined with laboratory testing will lead to the
development and optimization of coolants/lubricants
specifically targeted to defined rolling tasks. Improv -
ed oils and lubricants can then be tested in the pilot
rolling mill at the Siemens VAI workshop in Montbri-
son, France, as well in the cold-rolling mill of
voestalpine Stahl in Linz, Austria.
For the benefit of producersPotential beneficiaries for improved coolants/lubri-
cants include all operators of rolling mills in addition
to numerous downstream manufacturers of steel
products, such as the automotive industry. Producers
benefit from competent advice and tailored services
offered by this unique cooperation between three
highly experienced, well-known companies in the
steel industry. The application of customized oils and
emulsions in the rolling process results in higher mill
productivity, an extended product range, improved
surface quality of the steel strip and lower energy
costs required for rolling. �
AuthorsQuaker Chemical Corporation: Peter Schellingerhoutvoestalpine Stahl GmbH: Dr. Dieter PaesoldJohannes Kepler University Linz: Prof. Dr. Klaus ZemanSiemens VAI: Dr. Konrad Krimpelstä[email protected]
SERVICES
Production facilities have undergone enormous
developments in recent years – they are com-
pacter, more complex and offer higher produc-
tivity. And they boast significantly increased system
availability, despite the fact that many plant compo-
nents are more sensitive to the effects of wear. The
task of service and maintenance departments is to en-
sure high technical availability, which means promptly
replacing certain system components. By introducing
a preventive maintenance concept, it is possible to re-
place these components at the right time and there-
fore avoid unplanned downtime.
In addition to defined servicing tasks, a preven-
tative maintenance concept also ensures a reliable
supply of spare parts. A particularly cost-efficient ad-
vantage is that arrangements are made directly with
the plant supplier for repairs, spare parts and guar-
anteed delivery dates for critical parts.
Siemens VAI France is to date one of the few man-
ufacturing companies to offer specialized high-tech
equipment for the metals industries. The workshop
in Montbrison, France, is well equipped with a range
of advanced machines. In big jobs for ArcelorMittal
plants, the Montbrison workshop is in charge of the
critical components such as shifting and bending
blocks, hydraulic-gauge cylinders and downcoilers
(A-class components). Furthermore, preassembly
RO
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WorkingIn UnisonHot- and cold-strip rolling and processinglines are subject to considerable and constantlychanging mechanical and thermal stresses.Regular maintenance of critical componentsis essential to ensure consistently high qualityon the lines as well as smooth operation.Siemens VAI offers on-site system main ten -ance including repairs and preventativemaintenance, spare-parts management and manufacture, and, for those parts thatare subject to greater wear, repair and re -placement in our own workshops.
66 metals&mining 2|2010
Shears
Screw down
metals&mining 2|2010 67
AuthorsGilles Bernolin, Ludovic [email protected]
of critical parts such as complete mill stands and
cold band (carbon and stainless steel lines) are car-
ried out in Montbrison, which means better quality
and higher reliability.
A-Class components – the Achilles’ heel of production Original A-class components are always designed and
provided by the OEM (original equipment manufac-
turer) and are core components in the direct link with
process tasks. A-class components are vital for hot-
and cold-strip rolling and processing lines for flat car-
bon steel, stainless steel and aluminum. Spindles,
mandrels, screw-down systems, capsules, hydraulic
blocks, chocks and shears are just some A-class com-
ponents.
Knowledge of A-class components and related
processes enables Siemens VAI France to suggest and
anticipate the various types of maintenance and nec-
essary actions in order to avoid disturbances and
quality degradation. Comprehensive feedback from
our customers enables us to improve our solutions.
A formula to manage A-Class components1+1+1 stands for the safest way to manage A-class
components, namely having:
• One in production
• One complete spare available and ready to use. Dur-
ing a large annual maintenance shutdown, the com-
ponent in production can be replaced with the spare
component or the up-to-date solution
• One in refurbishment
For the refurbishment of A-class components,
Siemens VAI experts typically schedule an on-site
meeting with the customer for a complete assessment
of the customer’s needs. Repair solutions for A-class
components cover welders, dynamic air knives, tem-
per mills, strip levelers, scale breakers, roll coaters
and plate levelers. Another added bonus is that up-to-
date solutions can be implemented during the repair
process in partnership with the suppliers. Customers
are also invited to a visit the Siemens VAI workshop,
which also houses testing capabilities for ready-to-
use components. The replacement parts are prompt-
ly delivered to the plant along with a detailed list of
all necessary documents, including OEM recom-
mended quantities and preferential prices. �
One completespare
One completespare in
refurbishment
Customers are also invited to visit the Siemens VAI workshop.
COLD BAND
To develop its equipment, Siemens VAI provides
full in-house solutions from R&D to tested
units, ready to be installed at site. The range
includes controlled elongation machines and level-
ers, welders, air-wiping systems roll coaters,
shears, surface-inspection systems, and shapemeter
rolls. These machines have in common that they have
been designed to ensure top performance beyond the
capabilities of classic solutions, based on open au-
tomation systems and ease of maintenance.
A wide range of top performersControlled elongation machines include skin-pass
mills, tension levelers and scale breakers. Other lev-
elers include multi-roll machines for applications
ranging from plate mills to finishing lines. Siemens
VAI is the leader for these machines with about 500
references worldwide.
Mash-lap, flash-butt and laser welders manufac-
tured at Montbrison address all mill and line applica-
tions from pickling and continuous tandem cold mills
to finishing lines. The light-gauge laser welder is an
innovative machine with one source ensuring both
strip shearing and welding. The heavy-gauge laser
welder has been designed for ultrahigh strength
steels with a fixed shear to ensure superior welding
reliability.
Both air-wiping systems for hot-dip galvanizing
lines and roll coaters for paint or chemical applica-
tions have a unique patented design geared towards
coating savings and excellent ROI.
The wider product mixes with very-low- and ultra-
high-strength steels require more from shears from
both a capacity and productivity point of view. This
has led Siemens VAI to develop a machine including
the latest version of side trimmer with a dynamically
adjustable width.
Surface-inspection systems with applications for
hot and cold mills, galvanizing, annealing, cleaning
and other finishing lines provide the highest level
of detection and defect analysis. Shapemeter rolls
for both hot- and cold-mill applications complete
the portfolio.
An integrated process from design to testIn the integrated manufacturing process at Montbri-
son, equipment is designed using Solidedge 3D CAD
software, which minimizes errors during prototype
development; visualizes for customers the future pro-
duction area, showing maintenance access and sight
PR
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Siemens VAI Montbrison
Showcasing Top Workshop Performance
68 metals&mining 2|2010
Since the 1960s, Siemens VAI has been a pioneer in developing new solutions forthe metals industry. Especially evident inthe company’s Montbrison facility, theclear focus has been toward innovativeand high-added-value machines thatprovide superior performance where theyare installed. Mechatronic assembliesinclude a mix of mechanical, hydraulics,and automation in standalone packageswithin the line or mill.
metals&mining 2|2010 69
AuthorRoland [email protected]
from operator stations; and transmits drawings from
engineering to the manufacturing plant. The draw-
ings are then used directly to create the sequence of
machining operations on milling machines and lathes,
as well as metrology sequences for quality control.
The Montbrison shop is organized around two bays:
one for machining, welding and painting, and the oth-
er for equipment assembly and testing. Once the parts
are machined and controlled, they are transferred to
the assembly bay. For optimization of operations, the
bay is divided into several sections according to the
type of products: welders, skin-pass mills, levelers, air
knives, coaters, shears, and a specific testing area for
the shapemeter rolls. This ensures proximity to re-
quired utilities such as the resident hydraulic power
unit and organization of tools, parts and steel sam-
ples when needed.
Once mechanical erection is complete, piping and
cabling take place, followed by process control teams.
Each machine is tested, in most cases, in a full work-
shop performance test. In many cases, customers al-
so participate in the event to give final permission for
equipment delivery to their site. The welding of cus-
tomer samples, for example, is programmed to check
both machine functionality and weld quality.
Equipment life-cycle managementA very important part of the success of machines man-
ufactured in Montbrison is having teams involved
along the entire product service life. Workshop me-
chanical engineers are often dispatched to customer
sites, and process engineers in charge of shop testing
supervise on-site commissioning.
Even after the equipment acceptance in the cus-
tomer’s plant, the Siemens VAI Montbrison workshop
still ensures the availability of spare parts while pro-
viding the opportunity to study machine upgrades
and adaption to product-mix changes.
Welding campaigns are regularly organized to test
new steel grades. A pilot line equipped with a temper
mill and tension leveler also allows processing test
coils, 300 mm wide maximum, for elongation ca-
pacity or roughness transfer efficiency. �
Four laserwelders undertesting in theworkshop
Skin-pass millarea showingoperator andmaintenanceareas
Tensionleveler
Weldingtests
WORKSHOP
The hydraulic-gauge cylinder (HGC) is the pri-
mary actuator in all roll stands, making it a ma-
jor high-value core component. To manufac-
ture this strategic component, Siemens VAI has in-
vested significantly in 3D machining-programming
software directly linked to the engineering 3D-design
software and a dedicated numerical control machine
tool, backed by a dedicated static and dynamic testing
platform.
3D machine-programing softwareHGC design is done in the Montbrison engineering of-
fices using CAD software. The resulting 3D modeling
of the part to be machined is stored in a CAD file that
is then transferred to Unigraphics CAM software in
the workshop.
Once the transfer to Unigraphics is complete, the
movements of the machine tools are programmed. The
programmer creates routes according to the choice of
tools and determines cutting and forward speeds as
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70 metals&mining 2|2010
The Siemens VAI Montbrison facilityfocuses on the production of rolling andprocessing equipment and high-valuecore components. The unit permanentlyadapts to market-price reality throughbench marking under the supervision ofprocurement offices within the SiemensVAI organization. To this end, a globalprogram was launched three years agoto manufacture the hydraulic-gaugecylinder in the most efficient way possible.
Montbrison manufacturing
On Target with HGCIndustrialization
Dedicated test bench for an HGC with a maximum pressure of 5,000 tons
metals&mining 2|2010 71
AuthorsGerard Chevalier, Frederic [email protected]
well as the machining strategies to be used. The CAM
software then matches the chosen routes to the 3D mod-
eling and converts the routes into equations.
The CAM software package is able to very efficiently
simulate the action of the machining tools on the ma-
terial graphically, which enables the programmer to
check the machining strategy in advance and to pre-
vent possible collisions with the bridling or gripping
systems used to keep the material in place. The CAM
system also allows Montbrison specialists to perform
complete 3D modeling of the machine tool and to vi-
sualize the movements of its mobile parts (head, table,
rotary axis) during machining simulations.
Numerical-controlled machine toolsTaking into account the machining steps needed for
an HGC, a milling center has been developed for an
efficient industrialization process. Since there was no
machine center available on the market for equip-
ment the size of an HGC, Siemens VAI worked in close
cooperation with French machine-tool manufacturer
Forest-Line to develop equipment capable of isolating
and combining machining phases like milling, turn-
ing, milling-turning, drilling-tapping, reaming and
5-axis machining.
The machine tool from Forest-Line is equipped
with Siemens 840D numerical control, which receives
ISO files generated by the CAM system and immedi-
ately translates them into machining instructions.
The result is a reduced number of mounting opera-
tions, which improves productivity, ROI, and the effi-
cient supply of the HGC to Siemens VAI.
Dedicated static and dynamic testingAfter assembly of the individual mechanical, hy-
draulic and electrical components, all HGCs are val-
idated and qualified at the testing platform. Both
standard tests and specific tests are conducted in the
Montbrison workshop.
Standard tests include record cylinder flushing to
NAS 1638 Class 5, static pressure test for eight hours
(maximum pressure facilities test bench of 5,000 tons)
and the stroke measurement; a reliability test during
a sine wave of maximum load; hysteresis measure-
ment under different loads and at different positions;
and instrumentation validation under pressure and
with position sensors. Certain tests are typically con-
ducted at the customer’s request according to specific
technical specifications using real hydraulic piping of
the mill stand for simulation of the bandwidth record
and manifold, and integrated cylinder responses.
Following this testing campaign, the HGCs are
stamped with the Siemens VAI logo and sealed. They
are then ready to be incorporated directly into any
rolling-mill stand, and the time needed to commis-
sion equipment is significantly reduced. �
The result is a reducednumber of mountingoperations, which improvesproductivity and ROI.
Machine centerdeveloped to milland turn all types of cylinders
The CAD system gener-ates, and simulates anddefines the movementsof the machine tools
INTERVIEW
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72 metals&mining 2|2010
What was CSN’s main reason to outsource caster
maintenance to Siemens VAI?
Wilson Ferreira de Souza: We simply lacked the
maintenance know-how to ensure optimum per-
formance of Slab Caster No. 4, which was commis-
sioned by Siemens VAI at the end of 1999. Before the
installation of this caster, we only had older ma-
chines that were built in the 1980s. We didn’t have
the technological background to properly maintain
the casters ourselves, so we decided to sign a con-
tract with Siemens VAI for this work.
Siemens VAI has been performing the maintenance
work for the caster it installed in 1999 as well as for
two casters from other suppliers. To what extent
could the availability of the older casters be
increased and how was this achieved?
Wilson Ferreira de Souza: Operational availability of
the older casters could be increased by more than 30%
on a step-by-step basis. The availability of the new
caster is also better than expected. For example, there
were only ten breakouts in ten years with the Siemens
VAI caster, which we attribute to good organization,
excellent technology and proper maintenance serv-
ices. Siemens VAI always exceeded the targets we set.
CSN and Siemens VAI enjoy a good working relation-
ship with a clear focus on results. We have a very suc-
cessful partnership.
What are some of the changes that Siemens VAI
implemented to improve caster operations?
Wilson Ferreira de Souza: The nickel-plating facil-
ity for copper-mold plates and application of overlay
welding for a longer lifetime of the rolls is certain-
ly an important improvement at CSN. Modifications
on the roller-cooling system in the older casters
were also carried out in addition to various other
smaller changes.
In what other ways does CSN benefit from caster-
maintenance services from Siemens VAI?
Wilson Ferreira de Souza: The outsourcing of caster
maintenance allows our people to focus on opera-
tions and production. The quality of maintenance
ensures that the caster runs smoothly and that com-
ponent replacements and repairs are carried out ac-
cording to schedule. Smooth operation also means
that we can achieve new production targets more
easily and without problems – such as increasing
our output for the automotive industry. All of this
is the result of good maintenance.
What are the main factors for a producer to
consider when outsourcing caster maintenance?
Wilson Ferreira de Souza: A reasonable price and
excellent maintenance knowledge on the part of the
Interview with Wilson Ferreira de Souza, Steel Plant Director at Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional, Brazil
Ten Years of Outstand ingCaster Service
Operational availability ofthe older casters could be increased by more than 30%on a step-by-step basis.
Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN), the second-largest steel manufacturer in Brazil,operates an integrated production complex with an annual capacity of 5.8 million tonsof steel. Since January 2000, the company has benefited from caster maintenanceservices provided by Siemens VAI. Karl Trnka, Operational Director of Siemens VAI MetalsServices Ltda (Siemens VAI), spoke with Wilson Ferreira de Souza of CSN about theresults of an excellent partnership.
metals&mining 2|2010 73
ContactKarl [email protected]
provider. The technological know-how, mainte-
nance background and workshop-management
experience of your company were key factors that
convinced CSN.
What advantage does the “cost-per-ton” payment
model offered by Siemens VAI have in comparison
with the former “menu-price agreement”?
Wilson Ferreira de Souza: The advantage of the
cost-per-ton approach is 100% variable costs and
the provision of maintenance services that meet
our needs.
Wilson Ferreira deSouza of CompanhiaSiderúrgica Nacional(left) congratulates Karl Trnka, SiemensVAI Metals ServicesLtda. on the successfulten-year caster-main-tenance contract
“World-class services at local prices” – that’s the
claim of Siemens VAI. To what extent does this
apply at CSN?
Wilson Ferreira de Souza: The statement is 100%
true, even if your prices were not necessarily the
lowest. But when we look at the final figures, the
bottom line speaks for itself. �
Siemens VAIcaster mainte-nance work-shop at CSN,Brazil
Example of aslab casterstraightenersegment servic ed andmaintained by Siemens VAI
The AISTech is one of the largest confer-
ences in the world for the iron and steel in-
dustry. At this year’s event that took place
May 3–6, 2010, in Pitts burgh, Pennsylvania,
Dr. Johann Reidetschläger, Hans Stiasny,
Stefan Hötzinger, Christoph Aichinger and
Andre Fulgencio of Siemens VAI were the
winners of the “2010 Environment Tech-
nology Award” for the best paper and pres-
entation. Of the 50 environmental papers
presented at this conference and at a sepa-
rate annual AIST (Association for Iron &
Steel Technology) environmental confer-
ence, the topic “Siemens VAI Sintering Se-
lective Waste Gas Recirculation System:
Meet the Future’s Environmental Require-
ments Today” convinced AIST’s Environ-
mental Technology Committee due to the
simple, safe, practical and future-oriented
advantages offered by this technology. Sinter-
offgas recirculation to the sinter strand re-
duces the energy required in the sinter
process, decreases CO2 emissions and offers
decisive advantages for both new and ex-
isting sinter plants. To request copies of the
winning paper, please send an e-mail to
Sinter Experts from Siemens VAIWin AIST Environmental Prize
Receipt of Environmental Technology Award from AIST byAndré Fulgencio (left) and Dr. Johann Reidetschläger (right)
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74 metals&mining 2|2010
Metal + Metallurgy China, Casting China International and
Refractories China took place under a single roof over four
days in May. The three exhibitions provide a very compre-
hensive display of productivity solutions for the metals in-
dustry, from metallurgical machinery and equipment right
up to end products.
Siemens VAI was represented at this year’s event in Bei-
jing with a 140 m2 stand showcasing rolling and processing,
iron and steelmaking, continuous casting, environmental
solutions, and services. Visitors from Asia made up the
largest part of the fair’s attendance. Exhibits from the
Shanghai workshops of Siemens VAI and Morgan – such as
the refurbished bender-roller of a continuous casting plant
– served as special eye-catchers at the stand. �
Three in One
The Siemens VAI booth
metals&mining 2|2010 75
The Siemens VAI stand at bauma 2010 in April pre-
sented the company’s portfolio for the mining in-
dustry and even included an exhibition of the
world’s largest truck engine. Visitors from all over
the world come to Munich every three years for
bauma, an international trade fair for construc-
tion machinery, building material machines, min-
ing machines, construction vehicles and con-
struction equipment. For Siemens VAI, bauma is
the most important trade fair for the company’s
mining business. Attendance this year was high
despite the travel ban due to volcanic ash: over
415,000 professionals from 200 countries attend-
ed bauma 2010. �
Siemens VAI Metallurgical Services Rolling, in a con-
tinued effort to improve the day-to-day operations of
its customers’ equipment, is holding a training
course at its Worcester, Massachusetts, facility from
September 20 to 23, 2010. The course is recommend-
ed for mechanics and technicians who repair roll
housings as well as for those who perform daily main-
tenance duties.
The course includes comprehensive study of roll-
housing maintenance along with hands-on practice
of mechanical methods used to rebuild Morgan No-
Twist Mill roll housings. After completion of the train-
ing, participants will know the function of the roll
housing and will be able to identify the parts as well
as properly rebuild and inspect the roll-housing as-
sembly. Significant time will be spent on the proper
use of Morgan rebuild tooling and its application in
proper disassembly and assembly of the equipment.
The knowledge contained within this course in con-
junction with a consistent preventative maintenance
plan is an excellent way to support the production
goals of a facility.
Course outline:
• Mill inspections and seal changes
• Roll-shop-recommended equipment and tooling
• Disassembly and cleaning
• Identification and replacement of damaged components
• Proper clevite-bearing installation and roller-bearing
mounting
• Setting roll height and centerline reference
• Final assembly inspection
Contact: [email protected] �
Customer TrainingFor Roll-Housing Module Rebuilding
All About Mining
Reassembly of No-Twist Mill
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76 metals&mining 2|2010
In the future, Siemens VAI will
not only develop and manu-
facture products and solu-
tions in China and India but al-
so launch them onto the global
market. “This differentiates our
strategy significantly from oth-
er market players,” Werner Auer
said. “We are putting the busi-
ness responsibility where it
originates and can grow.”
In India Siemens VAI will be
concentrating on selected raw-
steel production technologies,
whereas China will be responsible for new develop-
ments in the field of rolling. “Since the economic cri-
sis, the competition in plant engineering has intensi-
fied significantly,” Auer reported. Whereas high-tech
countries in Europe as well as the U.S.A. and Japan are
continuing to focus on the efficiency and flexibility of
their production processes, China and India want to
produce, above all else, steel with simpler and cheap-
er plants to develop their infrastructure. “By trans-
ferring the responsibility to China and India, we are
responding to the changes in the steel market and
strengthening our leading position for the long
term,” Auer said.
The second topic of the event was on innovations
that save resources including water and energy in
metals and mining applications. “Sustainability and
cost effectiveness are not a contradiction,” explained
Jens Wegmann, CEO of the Siemens Industry Solu-
tions Division, and picked out the subject of eco-
friendly solutions that help boost the competitiveness
of mining and steel operations: “With climate change
and an increasing scarcity of resources, the develop-
ment of green products and solutions is gaining ever-
more importance. Especially mining companies will
have to invest more heavily in environmental protec-
tion and occupational safety in order to maintain their
future viability and long-term profitability.”
As Bernd Zehentbauer, Senior Vice President of
Mining Technologies at Siemens VAI, said, “Water
shortages, rising energy costs and increasing social
responsibilities in mining areas increasingly neces-
sitate additional measures that affect profits. However,
energy efficiency and water-treatment technologies
are helping to maintain competitiveness.” New elec-
tric drives in trucks, shovels, conveyor systems and
ore-crushing mills reduce energy consumption and
therefore ease the demands on power-supply systems
that are already very tight in many mining areas.
Broadening the technology portfolio to include waste-
water treatment is helping Siemens to ease the prob-
lem of water shortage.
In addition to the technical presentations, atten-
dees took part in open discussions with Siemens man-
agement and had the opportunity to visit the open-
pit lignite mine Garzweiler and the stainless steel
plant of ThyssenKrupp Nirosta in Krefeld. �
4th Siemens VAI Media Summit in Essen, Germany
China and India AreGrowth DriversSiemens VAI is strengthening its portfolio for iron- and steelmaking. “We will be investingsome €35 million in China and India over the next years in order to expand our local pro -duction, engineering and project handling,” Werner Auer, CEO of Siemens VAI, stated to theinternational business and trade press at the 4th Media Summit Metals and Mining Techno -logies. This year, the international press event with more than 100 journalists from 15 countriestook place in Essen, Germany.
Werner Auer, CEO of Siemens VAI
metals&mining 2|2010 77
OCT 13 – 15 DUPLEX STAINLESS STEELS CONFERENCE &
EXHIBITON 2010, Beaune, France, Palais de
Congress, http://www.stainless-steel-world.net/
duplex2010/ShowPage.aspx?pageID=1644
OCT 17 – 20 2nd INT. CONF. SUPER-HIGH STRENGTH STEEL,
Peschiera del Garda, Italy
http://www.aimnet.it/shss2010.htm
OCT 17 – 21 AIST’S STEEL PROPERTIES & APPLICATIONS
CONFERENCE + MS&T’10, Houston, The Materials
Science & Technology Conference & Exhibition
http://www.aist.org
OCT 18 – 21 SMRP 18th ANNUAL CONFERENCE, Milwaukee
http://www.smrp.org
OCT 24 – 26 ILAFA 51– Latin American Iron and Steel
Conference, Buenos Aires, Hilton Hotel
http://www.ilafa.org/
OCT 24 – 27 AMPT – Advances in Materials and
Processing Technologies, Paris
http://www.ampt2010.org
OCT 26 – 29 47th ABM ROLLING MILLS SEMINAR, Belo
Horizonte, Brazil, Ouro Minas Palace Hotel
http://www.abmbrasil.com.br/seminarios/
OCT 26 – 30 EUROBLECH, Hannover, Germany
http://www.euroblech.de
NOV 01 – 04 18th ROLLING CONFERENCE & 5th CONFERENCE
ON USES OF STEEL, 5th CONFERENCE ON USES
OF STEEL, Buenos Aires, City Center Rosario
http://www.siderurgia.org.ar/images/
logo1-chico.jpg
NOV 10 – 12 China (Beijing) International Metallurgy
Industry Exhibition, 2010, China International
Exhibition Center
NOV 10 – 13 10th INT. MINING & MACHINERY EXHIBITION
(IMME), Kolkatta, Salt Lake Stadium Grounds
NOV 11 – 12 STAHL – “Performance for tomorrow,”
Düsseldorf, http://www.stahl-online.de/english/
Stahltage/stahltage.asp
NOV 14 - 16 26th INTERN. FERRO-ALLOYS CONFERENCE,
Berlin, Hotel Intercontinental
http://www.metalbulletin.com/events/fa
NOV 16 - 17 STEEL SURVIVAL STRATEGIES, London, Marriott
Hotel, Grosvenor Square
http://www.metalbulletin.com/events/ssse
NOV 16 - 18 Baosteel BAC 2010, Shanghai
http://bac.baosteel.com/baosteel_bac4/index_en.jsp
SEP 07 – 09 9th INT. STAINLESS & SPECIAL SUMMIT, Rome,
The Westin Excelsior, http://www1.metalbulletin.com/
events/1242/Europe/Iron-and-Steel/ Venue-Informa-
tion/9th-International-Stainless-and-Special-
Summit.html?typeId=10&EventID=1242
SEP 12 – 15 EUROMAT 2011, Montpellier, France
http://euromat2011.fems.eu
SEP 14 – 16 ALUMINIUM – WORLD TRADE FAIR &
CONFERENCE, Essen, Germany
http://www.aluminium2010.com
SEP 15 – 17 The 10th International Conference on Steel
Rolling (ICSR), Beijing
http://hy.csm.org.cn/icsr10/en
SEP 19 – 22 METAL FORMING 2010 – 13th INT. CONFERENCE
ON METAL FORMING, Toyohashi, Japan
http://plast.pse.tut.ac.jp/metalforming
SEP 21 – 23 2nd CHINA INT. SPECIAL STEEL INDUSTRY
EXHIBITION, Shanghai, INTEX Shanghai
International Exhibition Centre
http://www.supersteel.cn
SEP 21 – 24 WIRE CHINA 2010, Shanghai
http://www.wirechina.net
SEP 22 – 23 5th Annual EU Iron Ore Insights Conference,
London, The Bloomsbury Hotel
http://www.immevents.com/our-events/the-5th-
annual-eu-iron-ore-insights-conference
SEP 22 – 24 ASIAN STEEL PACKAGING CONFERENCE, Malaysia
SEP 26 – 28 OPTIMOM, Cambridge
SEP 26 – 29 THE MAKING, SHAPING & TREATING OF STEEL:
101, Indianapolis, tbd, http://www.aist.org
SEP 27 – 30 40th ABM REDUCTION SEMINAR, Belo Horizonte,
Brazil, http://www.abmbrasil.com.br/seminarios/
SEP 29 – 30 3rd SOUTH AFRICAN FERRO ALLOYS, South
Africa, Hilton Sandton
SEP30–OCT02 AIKW – Arbeitsgemeinschaft Internationaler
Kalibreure und Walzwerksingenieure, A
Coruña, Spain
OCT 03 – 05 CONAC 2009, Monterrey, Mexico, Convex Center
http://aistmexico.org.mx/conac/index.php?option
=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=27&lang=
OCT 05 – 06 STAINLESS STEEL WORLD AMERICA 2010,
Houston, http://www.stainless-steel-world.net/
ssw2010/ShowPage.aspx?pageID=1513
OCT 06 – 08 14th ABM AUTOMATION SEMINAR, Belo Horizonte,
Brazil, http://www.abmbrasil.com.br/seminarios/
Events: Upcoming Conferences and Fairs
More informationYou can find further information and company press releases at our online portal www.siemens-vai.com.
78 metals&mining 2|2010
PR
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>
The next issue of metals&mining –
Focus on Innovative Technologies and SolutionsInnovation is the driving force for any company that wants to thrive in the market and stay ahead
of the competition. And with truly innovative products and solutions, new markets open up. In
today’s complex world, the lone inventor is a thing of the past. Instead, real innovations are de-
veloped in teams of specialists who work in tandem with research institutes, universities and
customers. It typically takes years before an idea matures to a product that can be brought into
production and applied on an industrial scale. But success is the reward of perseverance.
For more than 100 years, Siemens VAI has pioneered innovations for the metals industries.
Technological highlights such as the implementation of Corex and Finex ironmaking and
LD (BOF) steelmaking were truly revolutionary milestones in the steel industry. And we strive
to maintain our tradition of innovation and excellence, particularly with the introduction
and continued improvement of green and energy-efficient technologies that help producers
not only meet the strictest environmental standards but also reduce costs.
The next issue of metals&mining therefore focuses on innovative technologies and solu-
tions from the world of Siemens VAI, and presents an abundance of advantages and benefits
for producers.
Reader ServiceIf you are interested in receiving a sample copy,
or if you would like to order a free subscription
of metals&mining, please send a fax to:
+49 911 978 3321or an e-mail to:
Contact AddressHeadquartersSiemens VAI Metals Technologies GmbHP.O. Box 4, Turmstrasse 44, A-4031 Linz, Austria
E-mail: [email protected]
DIA
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PublisherSiemens AGIndustry Sector Industry SolutionsMetals TechnologiesSchuhstr. 60D-91052 Erlangen, Germany
Editorial responsibility in accordance withGerman press lawAlfred Baur
Editorial StaffSabine Fabris, Andrè Fulgencio, Dr. Lawrence Gould, Berta Haring, Bernd Hoffmann, Henning Huschka,Stefan Lechner, Daniela Michel-Fracci,Dieter Perndl, Daniel Schmid
Publishing HouseAgentur Feedback Corporate Publishing Friedrichstr. 22 D-80801 Munich, Germany
Printed by Mediahaus Biering, Munich, GermanyPublication date: August 2010Circulation: 18,000
Order No.: E10001-M10-A13-V1-7600Dispo No.: 21661 K. No.: 28105
Photo Credits:Corbis, pp. 10, 13; Getty, pp. 1, 8; Dirk Vormann/Casino Zollverein, p. 38 andThomas Willemsen/Stiftung Zollverein, p. 39;iStockphoto, p. 79.All other photos courtesy of Siemens VAI.
Connect & Cast, Corex, Dynacs, DynaFlex,DynaGap Soft Reduction, Morgoil, No-Twist, Planicim, Siflat, Simanics LV,Simatic, Simatic PCS7, Simelt FSM,Simetal GCP, Simetal Gimbal Top, SimetalVAiron, Simovert Masterdrive, Siroll,Siroll CM, SmartCrown, Smart and WinCCare registered trademarks of Siemens AGand Siemens VAI Metals TechnologiesGmbH in certain countries.
metals&mining is published quarterly.
© 2010 by Siemens AktiengesellschaftMunich and Berlin.
All rights reserved by the publisher.
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metals &mining 2|2010 79